Blue Trust Inc. Has $232,000 Stock Position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 19.9% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 1,128 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 187 shares during the quarter. Blue Trust Inc.’s holdings in STERIS were worth $232,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in STERIS during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division grew its holdings in shares of STERIS by 65.5% during the fourth quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 192 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new position in STERIS during the third quarter valued at $67,000. Asset Dedication LLC raised its position in STERIS by 54.8% during the third quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 291 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $71,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the period. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in STERIS in the 3rd quarter worth about $150,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Price Performance

NYSE STE opened at $218.23 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $212.15 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $224.70. STERIS plc has a 12-month low of $197.82 and a 12-month high of $248.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.54 billion, a PE ratio of 49.82 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 2.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.12 by $0.02. STERIS had a net margin of 8.02% and a return on equity of 13.78%. The firm had revenue of $1.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.33 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.03 earnings per share. STERIS’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 9.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 20th. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is 52.05%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $260.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday. 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 set a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a report on Monday, November 18th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered STERIS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $263.75.

Insider Activity at STERIS

In other STERIS news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $217.32, for a total transaction of $365,532.24. Following the transaction, 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 1.14% of the stock is owned by company 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.