SG Americas Securities LLC Reduces Position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

SG Americas Securities LLC lowered its holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 94.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,325 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 21,594 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $321,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. J.Safra Asset Management Corp grew its position in shares of STERIS by 77.9% during the first quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 121 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division bought a new stake in shares of STERIS in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Quent Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of STERIS by 112.7% in the 1st quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 134 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in shares of STERIS during the first quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in STERIS by 2,262.5% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 189 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Michael J. Tokich sold 23,332 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $247.00, for a total transaction of $5,763,004.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 42,930 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,603,710. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, CFO Michael J. Tokich sold 23,332 shares of STERIS stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $247.00, for a total value of $5,763,004.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 42,930 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,603,710. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Christopher S. Holland sold 473 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.68, for a total transaction of $113,368.64. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 582 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $139,493.76. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.14% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Trading Up 0.3 %

STERIS stock opened at $225.65 on Friday. STERIS plc has a 52-week low of $195.47 and a 52-week high of $248.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 59.07 and a beta of 0.84. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $235.66 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $226.01. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $1.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.27 billion. STERIS had a net margin of 7.36% and a return on equity of 13.85%. STERIS’s revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.00 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that STERIS plc will post 9.06 earnings per share for the current year.

STERIS Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 20th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 5th were paid a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 5th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.01%. This is a boost from STERIS’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. STERIS’s payout ratio is currently 59.69%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $260.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. StockNews.com raised shares of STERIS from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, August 8th. KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of STERIS from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Finally, JMP Securities reissued a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $246.00.

STERIS Company 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.