STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Bought by World Investment Advisors

World Investment Advisors raised its stake in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 10.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 22,693 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 2,081 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors' holdings in STERIS were worth $5,143,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of STERIS by 122.5% during the first quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,832 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $642,000 after buying an additional 1,559 shares during the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in STERIS by 503.0% during the first quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 199 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC boosted its holdings in STERIS by 23.6% during the first quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 1,203 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $273,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in STERIS by 5.1% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 8,951 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $2,029,000 after purchasing an additional 431 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in STERIS by 58.2% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,810 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $410,000 after purchasing an additional 666 shares during the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 12,828 shares of the business's 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 11,372 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,843,909.76. The trade was a 53.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, 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 value 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. The trade was a 25.54% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.07% of the company's stock.

STERIS Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of STE stock traded down $1.28 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $231.29. 325,094 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 586,682. The stock has a market cap of $22.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.30 and a beta of 0.92. The stock's fifty day moving average is $238.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $225.56. STERIS plc has a 52-week low of $200.98 and a 52-week high of $252.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.96 and a quick ratio of 1.39.

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 for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.59 by $0.15. STERIS had a net margin of 11.26% and a return on equity of 14.21%. The company had revenue of $1.48 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.47 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.58 EPS. STERIS's quarterly revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 9.08 EPS for the current year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 26th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 10th were given a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 10th. STERIS's dividend payout ratio is currently 36.77%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on STE. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Citigroup reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, May 16th. JMP Securities boosted their target price on shares of STERIS from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a "market outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of STERIS from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 14th. Finally, 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 research report on Monday, May 19th. Three 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.com, STERIS currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price 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.