CENTRAL TRUST Co Decreases Stock Position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

CENTRAL TRUST Co lowered its position in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 36.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 778 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 445 shares during the period. CENTRAL TRUST Co’s holdings in STERIS were worth $160,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors 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 stake 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 acquiring an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in shares of STERIS during the third quarter worth about $67,000. Asset Dedication LLC lifted its stake in shares of STERIS by 54.8% in the third quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 291 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $71,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Finally, R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of STERIS in the fourth quarter worth about $78,000. 94.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on STE shares. JMP Securities reiterated a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $260.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Piper Sandler upped their price target on STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday. Needham & Company LLC restated a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered STERIS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $263.75.

STERIS Stock Performance

STE stock opened at $220.97 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $212.33 and a 200 day simple moving average of $224.59. The company has a market capitalization of $21.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.45 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 plc has a fifty-two week low of $197.82 and a fifty-two week high of $248.24.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.33 by ($0.01). STERIS had a return on equity of 13.78% and a net margin of 8.02%. Sell-side analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 9.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 20th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 20th. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is presently 52.05%.

Insider Transactions at STERIS

In related news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of STERIS stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owns 11,372 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,471,363.04. The trade was a 12.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.14% of the company’s stock.

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.