STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Acquired by ING Groep NV

ING Groep NV boosted its holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 187.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 12,607 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,218 shares during the period. ING Groep NV’s holdings in STERIS were worth $2,591,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Handelsbanken Fonder AB raised its position in STERIS by 9.7% in the fourth quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 63,482 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $13,049,000 after purchasing an additional 5,621 shares during the period. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of STERIS by 236.8% during the 4th quarter. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC now owns 2,829 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $582,000 after purchasing an additional 1,989 shares during the last quarter. Callahan Advisors LLC raised its holdings in STERIS by 9.3% in the 4th quarter. Callahan Advisors LLC now owns 38,569 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $7,928,000 after buying an additional 3,286 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in STERIS by 78.3% in the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,276 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $673,000 after buying an additional 1,439 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc boosted its stake in STERIS by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 15,045 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $3,093,000 after buying an additional 654 shares during the period. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

STE has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JMP Securities reissued a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on 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 reissued a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded STERIS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, STERIS currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $258.75.

STERIS Stock Down 0.2 %

STERIS stock opened at $220.43 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.80 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a current ratio of 2.13, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. STERIS plc has a twelve month low of $197.82 and a twelve month high of $248.24. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $213.59 and its 200-day simple moving average is $223.41.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last issued its quarterly 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%. As a group, equities analysts expect that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 20th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 20th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.03%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 48.41%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.32, for a total value of $365,532.24. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,471,363.04. This trade represents a 12.88 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 1.14% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.