STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts give STERIS a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" (five buys, two holds) with an average 12‑month price target of $275.20.
• Institutional investors own about 94.69% of the shares, with recent large purchases including a new ~$320.3M stake by Norges Bank and sizable increases from AQR, Orbis and Boston Partners.
• STERIS reported EPS $2.53 that met estimates and revenue rose 9.2% year‑over‑year, and it declared a quarterly dividend of $0.63 (annualized $2.52, ~1.2% yield; ex‑dividend June 8).

Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the seven ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $275.20.

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings lowered STERIS from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Wall Street Zen lowered STERIS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, April 26th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other STERIS news, Director Cynthia L. Feldmann sold 3,098 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $237.21, for a total value of $734,876.58. Following the sale, the director owned 705 shares in the company, valued at approximately $167,233.05. This represents a 81.46% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.07% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On STERIS

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of STE. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in STERIS in the 4th quarter worth approximately $320,298,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of STERIS by 178.6% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,183,070 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $291,704,000 after buying an additional 758,423 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners purchased a new position in shares of STERIS during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $158,982,000. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd lifted its position in shares of STERIS by 36.0% during the 2nd quarter. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd now owns 2,100,099 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $504,486,000 after buying an additional 556,088 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its position in shares of STERIS by 246.4% during the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 553,834 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $137,041,000 after buying an additional 393,970 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.69% of the company's stock.

STERIS Price Performance

Shares of NYSE STE opened at $214.02 on Friday. The business's 50 day moving average price is $224.30 and its 200 day moving average price is $244.27. The firm has a market cap of $20.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.85 and a beta of 0.95. STERIS has a 52 week low of $195.14 and a 52 week high of $269.44. The company has a quick ratio of 1.75, a current ratio of 2.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.53 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $2.53. STERIS had a return on equity of 14.34% and a net margin of 12.15%.The company's revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.32 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that STERIS will post 10.22 earnings per share for the current year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 8th will be given a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 8th. STERIS's dividend payout ratio is currently 35.15%.

About STERIS

STERIS Corporation NYSE: STE is a global provider of infection prevention, contamination control and procedural products and services for the healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceutical and medical device industries. The company develops, manufactures and supports a broad portfolio of equipment and consumables designed to reduce risk of infection, maintain sterile environments and support critical clinical and manufacturing procedures.

Its offerings include sterilization and decontamination systems, instrument washers and washers-disinfectors, endoscope reprocessing solutions, surgical equipment and procedural disposables, and contamination-control products for cleanrooms and laboratories.

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