STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the five ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $258.75.

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of STERIS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Needham & Company LLC restated a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, November 8th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 6th. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their target price on STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $217.32, for a total transaction of $365,532.24. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,471,363.04. This represents a 12.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.14% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of STERIS

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of STERIS during the 4th quarter valued at about $76,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in shares of STERIS by 8.4% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 979,480 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $201,342,000 after acquiring an additional 75,877 shares during the last quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of STERIS during the 4th quarter worth approximately $416,000. Woodline Partners LP acquired a new position in shares of STERIS during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,219,000. Finally, Vident Advisory LLC grew its holdings in STERIS by 16.5% in the 4th quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 2,302 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $473,000 after buying an additional 326 shares in the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

STERIS Price Performance

STERIS stock opened at $219.66 on Wednesday. STERIS has a 52-week low of $197.82 and a 52-week high of $248.24. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $213.03 and a 200-day moving average of $223.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.64 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 2.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last released 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 net margin of 8.66% and a return on equity of 13.91%. As a group, analysts predict that STERIS will post 9.08 EPS for the current year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 20th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 20th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.04%. STERIS’s payout ratio is 48.41%.

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.