Aureus Asset Management LLC Has $8.32 Million Position in STERIS plc $STE

Key Points

• Aureus Asset Management boosted its STERIS stake by 19.3% in the first quarter, ending with 37,610 shares valued at about $8.32 million.
• STERIS reported fiscal first-quarter EPS of $2.83, missing estimates by a penny, while revenue of $1.59 billion matched expectations and rose 6.7% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $278, though some firms trimmed their targets slightly.

Aureus Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 19.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 37,610 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 6,080 shares during the period. Aureus Asset Management LLC's holdings in STERIS were worth $8,317,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC lifted its stake in STERIS by 115.4% in the fourth quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 112 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Activest Wealth Management increased its position in shares of STERIS by 423.8% during the fourth quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 110 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of STERIS during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of STERIS by 416.0% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 129 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the period. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of STERIS by 342.3% during the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 115 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

STERIS Stock Performance

NYSE STE opened at $210.65 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 2.09, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $211.75 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $227.97. STERIS plc has a 1 year low of $195.14 and a 1 year high of $269.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.56 and a beta of 0.92.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 11th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.83 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.86 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.59 billion. STERIS had a net margin of 13.18% and a return on equity of 14.15%. The business's revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.74 EPS. STERIS has set its FY 2027 guidance at 11.100-11.300 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 11.18 EPS for the current year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 8th were paid a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 8th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. STERIS's dividend payout ratio is currently 31.78%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. KeyCorp dropped their price target on STERIS from $291.00 to $269.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $270.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Wall Street Zen downgraded STERIS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, June 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered STERIS from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $278.00.

Insider Activity

In other STERIS news, Director Richard C. Breeden sold 1,481 shares of STERIS stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $209.51, for a total transaction of $310,284.31. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 38,964 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,163,347.64. The trade was a 3.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP John Adam Zangerle sold 1,419 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $209.28, for a total transaction of $296,968.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 35,259 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,379,003.52. This represents a 3.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 7,328 shares of company stock valued at $1,554,051 over the last three months. Insiders own 1.12% of the company's stock.

About STERIS

STERIS Corporation NYSE: STE is a global provider of infection prevention, contamination control and procedural products and services for the healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceutical and medical device industries. The company develops, manufactures and supports a broad portfolio of equipment and consumables designed to reduce risk of infection, maintain sterile environments and support critical clinical and manufacturing procedures.

Its offerings include sterilization and decontamination systems, instrument washers and washers-disinfectors, endoscope reprocessing solutions, surgical equipment and procedural disposables, and contamination-control products for cleanrooms and laboratories.

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