Handelsbanken Fonder AB Has $7.91 Million Position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its stake in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 70.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 35,972 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after buying an additional 14,850 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in STERIS were worth $7,908,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Millburn Ridgefield Corp acquired a new stake in STERIS during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in STERIS during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new stake in STERIS during the third quarter worth approximately $49,000. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in STERIS during the third quarter worth approximately $50,000. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in STERIS during the third quarter worth approximately $54,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on STE. KeyCorp began 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. TheStreet raised STERIS from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $250.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, February 9th. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 8th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, April 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $239.60.

STERIS Stock Down 1.5 %

Shares of STE opened at $202.80 on Thursday. STERIS plc has a 52 week low of $180.54 and a 52 week high of $254.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.52 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.43. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $222.36 and a 200-day moving average of $217.06.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.22 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $1.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.02 EPS. STERIS’s revenue was up 14.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 8.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 23rd were paid a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 22nd. STERIS’s payout ratio is 36.43%.

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.