STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Purchased by Peterson Wealth Services

Peterson Wealth Services grew its holdings in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 13.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,732 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 205 shares during the period. Peterson Wealth Services’ holdings in STERIS were worth $356,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in shares of STERIS by 171.2% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 838,569 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $191,370,000 after acquiring an additional 529,308 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in STERIS by 7,418.7% during the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 309,771 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $75,132,000 after purchasing an additional 305,651 shares during the last quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp boosted its position in STERIS by 400.4% during the fourth quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 224,741 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $46,198,000 after purchasing an additional 179,829 shares in the last quarter. Swedbank AB acquired a new stake in STERIS in the third quarter valued at $28,251,000. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its position in shares of STERIS by 2,123.2% in the third quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 113,672 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $27,574,000 after buying an additional 108,559 shares in the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

STERIS Stock Performance

Shares of STE opened at $224.16 on Tuesday. STERIS plc has a 1 year low of $197.82 and a 1 year high of $248.24. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $212.57 and its 200 day simple moving average is $224.46. The company has a market capitalization of $22.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.59 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a current ratio of 2.13.

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

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 20th will be given a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 20th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.02%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is presently 48.41%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on STE shares. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on shares of STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, November 8th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded STERIS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, STERIS has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $258.75.

Insider Activity at STERIS

In other STERIS news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.32, for a total transaction of $365,532.24. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 11,372 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,471,363.04. This trade represents a 12.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.14% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.