STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Acquired by Cerity Partners LLC

Cerity Partners LLC raised its position in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 5,199.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 65,925 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after acquiring an additional 64,681 shares during the quarter. Cerity Partners LLC owned about 0.07% of STERIS worth $14,494,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Morgan Stanley lifted its position in shares of STERIS by 70.7% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 3,756,454 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $693,780,000 after acquiring an additional 1,556,136 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of STERIS during the fourth quarter valued at about $153,900,000. Impax Asset Management Group plc boosted its position in shares of STERIS by 419.1% during the 4th quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 964,935 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $211,430,000 after purchasing an additional 779,038 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in shares of STERIS by 89.8% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 953,983 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $230,645,000 after buying an additional 451,235 shares during the period. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its position in STERIS by 58.4% in the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 586,380 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $128,663,000 after buying an additional 216,113 shares in the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

STERIS Stock Performance

Shares of STE traded down $2.28 on Friday, reaching $204.00. 678,625 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 483,475. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $226.02 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $218.12. The stock has a market cap of $20.16 billion, a PE ratio of 35.73 and a beta of 0.79. STERIS plc has a 52-week low of $180.54 and a 52-week high of $254.00. The company has a current ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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. The company had revenue of $1.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.35 billion. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.67% and a net margin of 10.48%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 14.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.02 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that STERIS plc will post 8.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 23rd were given a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 22nd. STERIS's dividend payout ratio is currently 36.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. TheStreet upgraded STERIS from a "c+" rating to a "b" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday. KeyCorp began coverage on shares of STERIS in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $253.00 target price for the company. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Finally, JMP Securities reiterated a "market outperform" rating and set a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, STERIS has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $239.60.

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.