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

Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $246.00.

A number of brokerages have weighed in on STE. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $260.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. StockNews.com raised shares of STERIS from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. JMP Securities reissued a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, KeyCorp boosted their target price on shares of STERIS from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 3rd.

Insider Activity at STERIS

In related news, CFO Michael J. Tokich sold 23,332 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $247.00, for a total value of $5,763,004.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 42,930 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,603,710. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, CFO Michael J. Tokich sold 23,332 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $247.00, for a total value of $5,763,004.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 42,930 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,603,710. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Christopher S. Holland sold 473 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.68, for a total transaction of $113,368.64. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 582 shares in the company, valued at $139,493.76. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of STERIS

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. First Personal Financial Services bought a new stake in STERIS during the first quarter valued at $25,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp increased its stake in STERIS by 77.9% during the first quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 121 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC increased its stake in STERIS by 112.7% during the first quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 134 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in STERIS during the first quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Pingora Partners LLC bought a new stake in STERIS during the fourth quarter valued at $37,000. 94.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

STERIS Price Performance

STERIS stock opened at $239.46 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $23.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 62.69 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.33. STERIS has a 1 year low of $195.47 and a 1 year high of $248.24. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $235.95 and a 200 day moving average price of $225.52.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $1.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.27 billion. STERIS had a net margin of 7.36% and a return on equity of 13.85%. STERIS’s revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.00 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that STERIS will post 9.05 earnings per share for the current year.

STERIS Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 5th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 5th. This is a boost from STERIS’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.95%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is currently 59.69%.

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.