STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Sold by Great Lakes Retirement Inc.

Great Lakes Retirement Inc. decreased its position in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 9.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 1,119 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 119 shares during the period. Great Lakes Retirement Inc.’s holdings in STERIS were worth $246,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. 1832 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new position in shares of STERIS during the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Millburn Ridgefield Corp purchased a new position in STERIS during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in STERIS in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. West Tower Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of STERIS during the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new position in shares of STERIS during the 3rd quarter worth about $49,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Price Performance

Shares of NYSE STE opened at $224.82 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $22.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.37 and a beta of 0.80. STERIS plc has a 1-year low of $180.54 and a 1-year high of $254.00. The business has a 50-day moving average of $227.09 and a 200-day moving average of $219.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.43 and a quick ratio of 1.49.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.17 by $0.05. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.67% and a net margin of 10.48%. The business had revenue of $1.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.35 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.02 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 8.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 23rd were issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.93%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 22nd. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is presently 36.43%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on STE shares. JMP Securities restated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 8th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, February 9th. TheStreet upgraded STERIS from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. KeyCorp began coverage on STERIS in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 price target for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on STERIS from $225.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $239.60.

STERIS 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.