STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Acquired by LA Financiere DE L Echiquier

LA Financiere DE L Echiquier boosted its holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 8.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 66,231 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after acquiring an additional 4,883 shares during the quarter. LA Financiere DE L Echiquier owned about 0.07% of STERIS worth $14,561,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of STE. Millburn Ridgefield Corp acquired a new stake in STERIS during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in STERIS during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. 1832 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in STERIS during the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new stake in STERIS during the 3rd quarter worth about $49,000. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in STERIS during the 3rd quarter worth about $50,000. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

STE has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. TheStreet upgraded STERIS from a "c+" rating to a "b" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. KeyCorp initiated coverage on STERIS in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $253.00 target price on the stock. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $250.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, February 9th. Finally, JMP Securities reiterated a "market outperform" rating and issued a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $239.60.

STERIS Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of STE traded down $0.83 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $212.65. The company's stock had a trading volume of 616,334 shares, compared to its average volume of 426,775. The firm has a market cap of $21.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.24 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a 50 day moving average of $227.00 and a two-hundred day moving average of $218.53. STERIS plc has a 1-year low of $180.54 and a 1-year high of $254.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 7th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.17 by $0.05. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.67% and a net margin of 10.48%. The firm had revenue of $1.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.35 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.02 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 14.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 8.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, February 23rd were issued a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 22nd. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.98%. STERIS's dividend payout ratio is currently 36.43%.

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.