Squarepoint Ops LLC Acquires 14,268 Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Squarepoint Ops LLC grew its holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 537.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 16,923 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after acquiring an additional 14,268 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC's holdings in STERIS were worth $3,479,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Avalon Trust Co bought a new stake in STERIS during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Human Investing LLC bought a new stake in STERIS during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of STERIS by 100.0% in the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 182 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the period. Manchester Capital Management LLC boosted 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 valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares during the period. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted 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 valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the period. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

STERIS Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:STE traded down $0.24 during trading on Thursday, reaching $244.76. The stock had a trading volume of 440,940 shares, compared to its average volume of 543,463. The business's 50-day moving average price is $227.52 and its 200 day moving average price is $220.61. 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 52 week low of $200.98 and a 52 week high of $252.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.05 billion, a PE ratio of 51.97 and a beta of 0.96.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 14th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $1.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.47 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.58 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict 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 given a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.93%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 10th. STERIS's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented on STE. 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. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, May 15th. Wall Street Zen upgraded STERIS from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on STERIS from $240.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, May 19th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $263.83.

Insider Buying and Selling

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 stock was sold at an average price of $250.08, for a total transaction of $3,208,026.24. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 11,372 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,843,909.76. The trade was a 53.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.