Vanguard Group Inc. Lowers Position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Vanguard Group Inc. trimmed its position in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 1.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 11,911,224 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 137,447 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 12.07% of STERIS worth $2,448,471,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in STE. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in STERIS during the fourth quarter worth about $223,987,000. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in shares of 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 last quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp grew its holdings in shares of STERIS by 400.4% in the fourth quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 224,741 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $46,198,000 after acquiring an additional 179,829 shares in the last quarter. Swedbank AB purchased a new stake in shares of STERIS during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,251,000. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. lifted its holdings in STERIS by 2,123.2% during the third quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 113,672 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $27,574,000 after acquiring an additional 108,559 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of STERIS stock opened at $221.57 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.04 and a beta of 0.92. STERIS plc has a 52-week low of $197.82 and a 52-week high of $248.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a current ratio of 2.13. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $221.62 and its 200 day simple moving average is $221.60.

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

STERIS Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 20th were given a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 20th. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.41%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on STE shares. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $240.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. JMP Securities restated a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on shares of STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $258.75.

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.