Vanguard Group Inc. Raises Stake in STERIS plc $STE

Key Points

• Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in STERIS by 1.7% in Q2 to 12,163,128 shares, representing 12.36% ownership worth about $2.92 billion.
• Wall Street is broadly positive—seven analysts rate STERIS a Buy (two Hold) with a consensus price target of about $273.50, and firms like Morgan Stanley and Wall Street Zen recently raised targets/ratings.
• STERIS beat recent quarterly estimates with $2.47 EPS on $1.46B revenue, issued FY2026 guidance of $10.15–$10.30 EPS, declared a $0.63 quarterly dividend, and insiders sold roughly 20,195 shares in the period.

Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 1.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 12,163,128 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 205,276 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 12.36% of STERIS worth $2,921,827,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in STE. Allworth Financial LP grew its position in shares of STERIS by 7.3% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 661 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $159,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC increased its stake in STERIS by 3.5% during the 1st quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,611 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $365,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its stake in STERIS by 0.9% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 6,999 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $1,586,000 after buying an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Horizon Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of STERIS by 4.7% in the 1st quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 1,410 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $320,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT lifted its position in shares of STERIS by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT now owns 3,305 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $749,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.69% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on STE shares. Wall Street Zen raised STERIS from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, September 14th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on STERIS from $276.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $273.50.

STERIS Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE STE opened at $257.09 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a current ratio of 2.22. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $246.64 and a 200 day moving average price of $241.14. STERIS plc has a 52 week low of $200.98 and a 52 week high of $268.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.23 billion, a PE ratio of 39.37 and a beta of 1.02.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.47 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.38 by $0.09. STERIS had a return on equity of 14.17% and a net margin of 11.61%.The business had revenue of $1.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.43 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.14 EPS. STERIS has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.150-10.30 EPS. Analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 18th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 18th. STERIS's dividend payout ratio is 36.21%.

Insider Transactions at STERIS

In related news, VP John Adam Zangerle sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $265.14, for a total transaction of $3,977,100.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 33,669 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,926,998.66. This trade represents a 30.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Renato Tamaro sold 5,036 shares of STERIS stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $257.55, for a total value of $1,297,021.80. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 5,695 shares in the company, valued at $1,466,747.25. The trade was a 46.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 20,195 shares of company stock valued at $5,312,571. Corporate insiders own 1.07% of the company's stock.

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.

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