Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC Boosts Holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 6.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 72,692 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after acquiring an additional 4,566 shares during the quarter. STERIS accounts for about 1.2% of Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC owned about 0.07% of STERIS worth $16,071,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Avalon Trust Co acquired a new stake in STERIS in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Human Investing LLC acquired a new stake in STERIS in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in 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 lifted its holdings in STERIS by 182.7% in the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 212 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 137 shares during the period. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its holdings in STERIS by 66.7% in the fourth quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 220 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.69% of the company's stock.

STERIS Price Performance

STERIS stock traded down $1.25 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $241.16. 464,079 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 549,583. The company has a market capitalization of $23.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.20 and a beta of 0.94. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $232.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $222.69. STERIS plc has a 1 year low of $200.98 and a 1 year high of $252.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a current ratio of 2.13.

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

STERIS Announces Dividend

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 issued a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 10th. STERIS's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.77%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

STE has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on STERIS from $240.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, May 19th. Wall Street Zen upgraded STERIS from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday. Citigroup restated an "outperform" rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Finally, JMP Securities raised their price target on STERIS from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a "market outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, STERIS has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $263.83.

Insider Buying and Selling at STERIS

In other STERIS news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 12,828 shares of STERIS 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 completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at $2,843,909.76. The trade was a 53.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Daniel A. Carestio sold 17,626 shares of STERIS stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $242.56, for a total value of $4,275,362.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 51,385 shares of the company's stock, valued at $12,463,945.60. This trade represents a 25.54% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.14% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.