Swiss National Bank Sells 8,400 Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Swiss National Bank trimmed its holdings in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 2.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 308,960 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 8,400 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank owned about 0.31% of STERIS worth $67,925,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of STE. Millburn Ridgefield Corp bought a new position in shares of STERIS in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of STERIS in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of STERIS during the 3rd quarter valued at $49,000. NBC Securities Inc. bought a new stake in shares of STERIS during the 3rd quarter worth $50,000. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new position in STERIS in the third quarter worth $54,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Stock Performance

NYSE:STE opened at $207.82 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.43. STERIS plc has a fifty-two week low of $185.22 and a fifty-two week high of $254.00. The firm has a market cap of $20.53 billion, a PE ratio of 36.40 and a beta of 0.81. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $218.46 and a 200-day moving average price of $216.09.

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

STERIS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 12th. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.00%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is presently 36.43%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

STE has been the subject of several research analyst reports. TheStreet raised STERIS from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, February 9th. JMP Securities restated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 8th. KeyCorp began coverage on shares of STERIS in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 target price on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of STERIS from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $239.60.

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.