STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Sold by Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc.

Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc. decreased its position in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 1.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 65,658 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after selling 1,097 shares during the quarter. STERIS makes up about 3.1% of Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc. owned approximately 0.07% of STERIS worth $14,881,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of STE. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its position in shares of STERIS by 19.4% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 757 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $156,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of STERIS during the 4th quarter valued at about $9,895,000. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI boosted its position in shares of STERIS by 5.9% during the 4th quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 975 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $201,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of STERIS by 41.9% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,117 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $230,000 after acquiring an additional 330 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LBP AM SA boosted its position in shares of STERIS by 151.3% during the 4th quarter. LBP AM SA now owns 26,519 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $5,451,000 after acquiring an additional 15,965 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.69% of the company's stock.

STERIS Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of STE opened at $227.92 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.42 billion, a PE ratio of 36.76 and a beta of 0.92. 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 0.29, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 1.96. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $238.56 and its 200-day simple moving average is $226.01.

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 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 net margin of 11.26% and a return on equity of 14.21%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.58 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared 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 was Tuesday, June 10th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.00%. STERIS's dividend payout ratio is presently 36.77%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Daniel A. Carestio sold 17,626 shares of the 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 51,385 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,463,945.60. This represents a 25.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 12,828 shares of the 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 sale, the senior vice president directly owned 11,372 shares in the company, valued at $2,843,909.76. This represents a 53.01% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.07% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of STERIS from $240.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, May 19th. JMP Securities upped their target price on shares of STERIS from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a "market outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $263.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $250.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, May 15th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, STERIS has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus 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.

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