STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Sold by LaFleur & Godfrey LLC

LaFleur & Godfrey LLC cut its holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 14.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 46,641 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after selling 8,162 shares during the period. STERIS accounts for 1.4% of LaFleur & Godfrey LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding. LaFleur & Godfrey LLC's holdings in STERIS were worth $10,571,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Avalon Trust Co bought a new stake in STERIS during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Grove Bank & Trust raised its stake in STERIS by 4,733.3% during the 1st quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 145 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. Anfield Capital Management LLC lifted 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 purchasing an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. ORG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in STERIS in the 1st quarter worth approximately $43,000. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its position in shares of STERIS by 66.7% during the fourth quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 220 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.69% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at STERIS

In other STERIS news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 12,828 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 now directly owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,843,909.76. The trade was a 53.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Daniel A. Carestio sold 17,626 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $242.56, for a total transaction of $4,275,362.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 51,385 shares in the company, valued at $12,463,945.60. This represents a 25.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.07% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

STERIS Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of STE stock traded up $2.81 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $239.72. 467,766 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 546,765. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.67 and a beta of 0.94. STERIS plc has a 12-month low of $200.98 and a 12-month high of $252.79. The company's 50-day moving average price is $234.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $223.58. The company has a current ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

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

STERIS Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 26th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 10th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.95%. STERIS's payout ratio is 36.77%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

STE has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of STERIS from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 14th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on STERIS in a report on Thursday, May 29th. They set a "hold" rating and a $263.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $250.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, May 15th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $263.83.

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.