STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Sold by Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management LLC

Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management LLC trimmed its position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 42.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,506 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after selling 1,102 shares during the quarter. Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management LLC's holdings in STERIS were worth $341,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of STERIS by 122.5% in the 1st quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,832 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $642,000 after acquiring an additional 1,559 shares in the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC grew its stake 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 purchasing an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC raised its holdings in STERIS by 23.6% in the first quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 1,203 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $273,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares in the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. raised its holdings in STERIS by 17.1% in the first quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 2,071 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $469,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of STERIS by 5.1% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 8,951 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $2,029,000 after buying an additional 431 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.69% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

STE has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. JMP Securities boosted their price objective on shares of STERIS from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a "market outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of STERIS from $240.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, May 19th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of STERIS from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 14th. Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, May 29th. They set a "hold" rating and a $263.00 target price for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $263.83.

Insider Buying and Selling at STERIS

In other news, CEO Daniel A. Carestio sold 17,626 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $242.56, for a total value of $4,275,362.56. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 51,385 shares in the company, valued at $12,463,945.60. This trade represents a 25.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 12,828 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.08, for a total value of $3,208,026.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 11,372 shares in the company, valued at $2,843,909.76. The trade was a 53.01% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.07% of the company's stock.

STERIS Stock Performance

NYSE STE traded down $0.84 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $230.44. 530,745 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 550,670. The company has a market capitalization of $22.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.17 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 1.96. The business's 50 day moving average is $238.33 and its 200-day moving average is $225.60. STERIS plc has a 1 year low of $200.98 and a 1 year high of $252.79.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 14th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.59 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $1.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.47 billion. STERIS had a return on equity of 14.21% and a net margin of 11.26%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.58 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that STERIS plc will post 9.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 26th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 10th were paid a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 10th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.99%. STERIS's dividend payout ratio is currently 36.77%.

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.