STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Sold by McCollum Christoferson Group LLC

Key Points

• McCollum Christoferson Group LLC reduced its stake in STERIS plc by 3.7%, owning a total of 30,926 shares, now valued at approximately $7 million.
• Recently, CEO Daniel A. Carestio sold 17,626 shares of stock for over $4.27 million, marking a significant decrease in his ownership.
• STERIS reported a quarterly EPS of $2.74, surpassing analysts’ expectations, and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.57 per share, resulting in a 1.00% dividend yield.

McCollum Christoferson Group LLC lowered its stake in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 3.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 30,926 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after selling 1,195 shares during the quarter. STERIS comprises about 2.1% of McCollum Christoferson Group LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. McCollum Christoferson Group LLC's holdings in STERIS were worth $7,009,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Prudential Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of STERIS by 233.2% in the 4th quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 52,592 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $10,811,000 after acquiring an additional 36,808 shares during the last quarter. Korea Investment CORP raised its position in STERIS by 158.3% in the fourth quarter. Korea Investment CORP now owns 69,830 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $14,354,000 after purchasing an additional 42,800 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in STERIS by 15.9% during the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 1,261,927 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $257,585,000 after purchasing an additional 172,795 shares in the last quarter. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co acquired a new position in STERIS during the fourth quarter worth $2,104,000. Finally, NEOS Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of STERIS by 30.1% during the fourth quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC now owns 5,374 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $1,105,000 after buying an additional 1,243 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.69% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at STERIS

In related news, CEO Daniel A. Carestio sold 17,626 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 5th. The stock was 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 owned 51,385 shares in the company, valued at $12,463,945.60. The trade was a 25.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 12,828 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.08, for a total transaction of $3,208,026.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.07% of the company's stock.

STERIS Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:STE opened at $227.28 on Friday. STERIS plc has a fifty-two week low of $200.98 and a fifty-two week high of $252.79. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $237.95 and its 200 day moving average price is $227.12. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The stock has a market cap of $22.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.66 and a beta of 0.92.

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

STERIS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 26th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 10th were given a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 10th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.00%. STERIS's dividend payout ratio is currently 36.77%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded STERIS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 18th. KeyCorp boosted their price target on shares of STERIS from $277.00 to $288.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Citigroup reissued 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 report on Monday, April 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, May 29th. They set a "hold" rating and a $263.00 target price on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $270.33.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.