ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. Invests $966,000 in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Key Points

• ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. recently acquired 4,262 shares of STERIS plc, totaling around $966,000, as reported in their Form 13F filing.
• Sectors like Healthcare, Applied Sterilization Technologies, Life Sciences, and Dental highlight STERIS's diverse product offerings in infection prevention.
• STERIS announced a quarterly dividend increase to $0.63 per share, reflecting an annual payout of $2.52 and a dividend yield of 1.0%.

ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. bought a new stake in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund bought 4,262 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $966,000.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Grove Bank & Trust raised its position in shares of STERIS by 4,733.3% in the first quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 145 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. ORG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of STERIS during the first quarter worth about $43,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in STERIS by 503.0% in the first quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 199 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new stake in STERIS in the first quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Finally, Wayfinding Financial LLC acquired a new stake in STERIS in the first quarter valued at approximately $46,000. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

STE has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of STERIS from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of STERIS from $276.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday. JMP Securities increased their price target on shares of STERIS from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a "market outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th. KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of STERIS from $277.00 to $288.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $263.00 price target on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $273.50.

STERIS Stock Performance

Shares of STE stock traded up $2.10 on Tuesday, hitting $243.72. 341,082 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 723,378. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 2.22 and a quick ratio of 1.53. The company has a market capitalization of $24.00 billion, a PE ratio of 37.32 and a beta of 0.92. STERIS plc has a 1-year low of $200.98 and a 1-year high of $252.79. The company's fifty day moving average is $234.13 and its 200 day moving average is $229.09.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.32 by $0.02. STERIS had a return on equity of 14.17% and a net margin of 11.61%. The firm had revenue of $1.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.36 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.03 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 4th will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. This is a positive change from STERIS's previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 4th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. STERIS's payout ratio is 34.92%.

Insider Activity at STERIS

In other news, Director Mohsen Sohi sold 4,110 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.96, for a total transaction of $994,455.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 22,361 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,410,467.56. This trade represents a 15.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Daniel A. Carestio sold 17,626 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $242.56, for a total value of $4,275,362.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 51,385 shares of the company's stock, valued at $12,463,945.60. This trade represents a 25.54% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 45,959 shares of company stock worth $11,231,764. Company insiders own 1.07% 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.