Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. Purchases 2,583 Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 30.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,970 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,583 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd.’s holdings in STERIS were worth $2,275,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of STERIS by 0.7% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,303,625 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $556,786,000 after purchasing an additional 17,007 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in STERIS by 9.5% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,114,224 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $270,230,000 after purchasing an additional 96,336 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in STERIS by 171.2% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 838,569 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $191,370,000 after buying an additional 529,308 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates grew its position in shares of STERIS by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 801,144 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $194,309,000 after buying an additional 12,005 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of STERIS by 1.2% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 551,453 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $133,749,000 after buying an additional 6,334 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other STERIS news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $217.32, for a total value of $365,532.24. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at $2,471,363.04. This trade represents a 12.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on STE shares. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $240.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on shares of STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, November 8th. JMP Securities restated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded STERIS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, STERIS presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $258.75.

STERIS Stock Down 1.0 %

STERIS stock opened at $223.13 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $22.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.37 and a beta of 0.84. STERIS plc has a 12 month low of $197.82 and a 12 month high of $248.24. The company has a current ratio of 2.13, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $212.57 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $224.51.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.33 by ($0.01). STERIS had a return on equity of 13.91% and a net margin of 8.66%. Equities analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 9.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 20th will be given a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 20th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.02%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.41%.

About STERIS

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.