Strs Ohio Increases Stock Position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Strs Ohio lifted its holdings in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 16.4% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 60,496 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,518 shares during the quarter. Strs Ohio’s holdings in STERIS were worth $13,300,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of STE. 1832 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of STERIS during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Millburn Ridgefield Corp bought a new position in shares of STERIS during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of STERIS during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new stake in STERIS in the 3rd quarter worth $49,000. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. bought a new stake in STERIS in the 3rd quarter worth $50,000. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on STE shares. JMP Securities reissued a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 8th. KeyCorp initiated coverage on shares of STERIS in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 target price for the company. TheStreet raised shares of STERIS from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, April 12th. Finally, Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $239.60.

STERIS Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of STERIS stock opened at $198.94 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.66 billion, a PE ratio of 34.84 and a beta of 0.79. STERIS plc has a 52-week low of $180.54 and a 52-week high of $254.00. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $225.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $217.98.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.17 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.35 billion. STERIS had a net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 13.67%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.02 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 8.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 23rd were paid a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 22nd. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.05%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is presently 36.43%.

STERIS Profile

STERIS plc provides infection prevention products and services worldwide. It operates through four segments: Healthcare, Applied Sterilization Technologies, Life Sciences, and Dental. The Healthcare segment offers cleaning chemistries and sterility assurance products; automated endoscope reprocessing system and tracking products; endoscopy accessories, washers, sterilizers, and other pieces of capital equipment for the operation of a sterile processing department; and equipment used directly in the operating room, including surgical tables, lights, and connectivity solutions, as well as equipment management services.