STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Holdings Boosted by Strs Ohio

Strs Ohio raised its position in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 16.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 60,496 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 8,518 shares during the quarter. Strs Ohio owned 0.06% of STERIS worth $13,300,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of STE. 1832 Asset Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of STERIS in the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. Millburn Ridgefield Corp bought a new stake in shares of STERIS in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of STERIS in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new stake in shares of STERIS in the third quarter worth approximately $49,000. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. bought a new stake in shares of STERIS in the third quarter worth approximately $50,000. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently issued reports on STE. JMP Securities reissued a "market outperform" rating and issued a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 8th. Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, April 12th. KeyCorp began coverage on shares of STERIS in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $253.00 price objective on the stock. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Finally, TheStreet upgraded shares of STERIS from a "c+" rating to a "b" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $239.60.

STERIS Trading Up 0.6 %

STE traded up $1.23 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $200.24. 1,115,554 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 460,118. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.43. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $225.10 and a 200 day simple moving average of $217.83. The firm has a market cap of $19.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.89 and a beta of 0.79. STERIS plc has a 1 year low of $180.54 and a 1 year high of $254.00.

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

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 23rd were issued a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 22nd. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.04%. STERIS's dividend payout ratio is presently 36.43%.

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.