Daiwa Securities Group Inc. Buys 120 Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 1.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 11,072 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.’s holdings in STERIS were worth $2,434,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Millburn Ridgefield Corp bought a new position in STERIS in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in STERIS in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. 1832 Asset Management L.P. bought a new position in STERIS in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new position in STERIS in the 3rd quarter valued at $49,000. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. bought a new position in STERIS in the 3rd quarter valued at $50,000. Institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE STE opened at $199.51 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.43 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.94 and a beta of 0.79. STERIS plc has a 1-year low of $180.54 and a 1-year high of $254.00. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $223.71 and a 200 day moving average price of $217.44.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 7th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.17 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.35 billion. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.67% and a net margin of 10.48%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 14.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.02 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that STERIS plc will post 8.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, February 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.04%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 22nd. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, February 9th. TheStreet raised STERIS from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. KeyCorp assumed coverage on STERIS in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, April 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $239.60.

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.