STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Sold by Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. decreased its holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 62.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,615 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after selling 9,423 shares during the quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in STERIS were worth $1,154,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in STE. Avalon Trust Co bought a new stake in STERIS in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Human Investing LLC bought a new stake in STERIS in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in STERIS by 100.0% in the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 182 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in STERIS by 182.7% in the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 212 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its holdings in STERIS by 66.7% in the 4th quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 220 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.69% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 12,828 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.08, for a total value of $3,208,026.24. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at $2,843,909.76. This represents a 53.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.14% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Citigroup reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, May 16th. JMP Securities raised their target price on STERIS from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a "market outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Wall Street Zen cut STERIS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday. Piper Sandler raised their target price on STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on STERIS in a research report on Thursday. They issued a "hold" rating and a $263.00 target price on the stock. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $263.83.

STERIS Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE STE traded down $3.34 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $241.87. 501,697 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 544,810. The company's 50 day moving average price is $228.80 and its 200 day moving average price is $221.06. STERIS plc has a 12 month low of $200.98 and a 12 month high of $252.79. The company has a current ratio of 2.13, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.35 and a beta of 0.96.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 14th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.59 by $0.15. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.91% and a net margin of 8.66%. The firm had revenue of $1.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.47 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.58 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 26th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 10th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.94%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 10th. STERIS's dividend payout ratio is presently 36.77%.

STERIS Company 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.