Amica Retiree Medical Trust Cuts Holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Amica Retiree Medical Trust reduced its stake in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 6.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,266 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 302 shares during the period. Amica Retiree Medical Trust’s holdings in STERIS were worth $877,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in STERIS in the 4th quarter worth $223,987,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of STERIS by 171.2% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 838,569 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $191,370,000 after buying an additional 529,308 shares during the period. Boston Trust Walden Corp lifted its stake in shares of STERIS by 400.4% in the 4th quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 224,741 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $46,198,000 after acquiring an additional 179,829 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in STERIS by 15.9% during the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 1,261,927 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $257,585,000 after acquiring an additional 172,795 shares during the period. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. boosted its holdings in STERIS by 2,123.2% during the 3rd quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 113,672 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $27,574,000 after acquiring an additional 108,559 shares during the period. 94.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

STE has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. JMP Securities restated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $240.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, STERIS has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $258.75.

STERIS Stock Performance

STERIS stock opened at $223.03 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $221.95 and its 200 day moving average is $221.61. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 2.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a market capitalization of $21.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.35 and a beta of 0.92. STERIS plc has a twelve month low of $197.82 and a twelve month high of $248.24.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.32 EPS 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, equities research analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 20th were given a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 20th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.02%. STERIS’s payout ratio is currently 48.41%.

About STERIS

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.