STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Position Raised by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 0.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,129,579 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 9,936 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 1.15% of STERIS worth $256,019,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Park Edge Advisors LLC raised its position in STERIS by 1.0% in the first quarter. Park Edge Advisors LLC now owns 4,709 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $1,067,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the period. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI raised 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 purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in shares of STERIS by 16.5% during the 1st quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 395 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $90,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLC grew its stake in STERIS by 1.0% during the first quarter. Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLC now owns 6,280 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $1,423,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors LLC grew its stake in STERIS by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors LLC now owns 1,970 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $405,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.69% of the company's stock.

STERIS Stock Down 1.9%

STERIS stock traded down $4.46 during trading on Monday, reaching $233.09. The stock had a trading volume of 523,505 shares, compared to its average volume of 550,154. STERIS plc has a 52-week low of $200.98 and a 52-week high of $252.79. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $238.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $225.51. 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 $22.93 billion, a PE ratio of 37.60 and a beta of 0.92.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 14th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.59 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $1.48 billion during 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 revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.58 EPS. On average, analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 9.08 EPS for the current year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 26th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 10th were paid a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 10th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.98%. STERIS's payout ratio is 36.77%.

Insider Transactions at STERIS

In other STERIS news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 12,828 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.08, for a total value of $3,208,026.24. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 11,372 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,843,909.76. This represents a 53.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Daniel A. Carestio sold 17,626 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 51,385 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,463,945.60. The trade was a 25.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.07% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

STE has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, May 15th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of STERIS from $240.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, May 19th. JMP Securities lifted their price objective on shares of STERIS from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a "market outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of STERIS from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 14th. Three research 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $263.83.

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.