Nomura Holdings Inc. Invests $669,000 in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Nomura Holdings Inc. acquired a new position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 3,253 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $669,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. NorthRock Partners LLC purchased a new position in STERIS in the fourth quarter worth approximately $230,000. Nuveen Asset Management LLC grew its position in STERIS by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 362,440 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $74,503,000 after acquiring an additional 8,570 shares during the period. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp grew its position in STERIS by 20.5% in the fourth quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp now owns 4,131 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $849,000 after acquiring an additional 702 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in STERIS by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 13,659 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $2,808,000 after acquiring an additional 257 shares during the period. Finally, Gotham Asset Management LLC grew its position in STERIS by 10.3% in the fourth quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 103,163 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $21,206,000 after acquiring an additional 9,615 shares during the period. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

STERIS Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE STE traded down $0.59 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $243.21. The company had a trading volume of 538,496 shares, compared to its average volume of 543,647. The company has a market capitalization of $23.90 billion, a PE ratio of 51.64 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 2.13 and a quick ratio of 1.40. STERIS plc has a 1-year low of $200.98 and a 1-year high of $252.79. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $226.25 and its 200 day simple moving average is $220.06.

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

STERIS Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on STE shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded STERIS from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday. JMP Securities raised their price target on STERIS from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a "market outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on STERIS from $240.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, May 19th. Citigroup restated an "outperform" rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Finally, Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, May 15th. Two equities 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $264.00.

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.