Northern Trust Corp Acquires 83,601 Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 7.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,213,037 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after acquiring an additional 83,601 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp owned about 1.23% of STERIS worth $249,352,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Quarry LP grew its stake in shares of STERIS by 255.6% during the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 985 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $202,000 after buying an additional 708 shares during the period. Boothbay Fund Management LLC purchased a new position in STERIS in the 4th quarter valued at about $502,000. Snyder Capital Management L P increased its holdings in STERIS by 15.7% during the 4th quarter. Snyder Capital Management L P now owns 148,384 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $30,502,000 after purchasing an additional 20,087 shares during the last quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC acquired a new stake in STERIS in the fourth quarter valued at $273,000. Finally, Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. lifted its position in shares of STERIS by 39.2% during the fourth quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 42,186 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $8,672,000 after purchasing an additional 11,871 shares during the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

STERIS Stock Down 0.0 %

STE traded down $0.06 on Tuesday, reaching $224.24. 205,805 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 538,086. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $223.14 and its 200-day moving average price is $218.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 2.13 and a quick ratio of 1.40. STERIS plc has a 52-week low of $200.98 and a 52-week high of $248.24. The company has a market cap of $22.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.61 and a beta of 0.96.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.32 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.33 by ($0.01). STERIS had a net margin of 8.66% and a return on equity of 13.91%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that STERIS plc will post 9.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $240.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 6th. JMP Securities reiterated a "market outperform" rating and set a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Monday, April 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $258.75.

STERIS 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.