Merit Financial Group LLC grew its position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE – Free Report) by 50.4% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,905 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 638 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $432,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of STERIS in the fourth quarter valued at $924,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in shares of STERIS by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 1,984 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $408,000 after buying an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of STERIS by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,119,643 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $230,160,000 after buying an additional 5,419 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its stake in shares of STERIS by 130.2% in the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 28,816 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $5,923,000 after buying an additional 16,300 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stephens Inc. AR grew its stake in shares of STERIS by 8.6% in the fourth quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 14,212 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,921,000 after buying an additional 1,121 shares in the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
STERIS Trading Down 0.2%
NYSE:STE opened at $242.28 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $23.83 billion, a PE ratio of 51.44 and a beta of 0.94. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $230.96 and a 200 day moving average price of $222.21. STERIS plc has a 12-month low of $200.98 and a 12-month high of $252.79. The company has a current ratio of 2.13, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.
STERIS Announces Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 26th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.94%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 10th. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.77%.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other news, CEO Daniel A. Carestio sold 17,626 shares of STERIS stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $242.56, for a total transaction of $4,275,362.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 51,385 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,463,945.60. The trade was a 25.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 12,828 shares of STERIS stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.08, for a total value of $3,208,026.24. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at $2,843,909.76. This trade represents a 53.01% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.14% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on STE shares. Citigroup reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Wall Street Zen cut STERIS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 30th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a report on Monday, April 7th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on STERIS in a report on Thursday, May 29th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $263.00 target price for the company. Finally, JMP Securities lifted their target price on STERIS from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $263.83.
Get Our Latest Research Report on STERIS
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.
Recommended Stories
- Five stocks we like better than STERIS
- Best Energy Stocks – Energy Stocks to Buy Now
- AppLovin Dips on S&P 500 Snub, Morgan Stanley Lifts Target Anyway
- 3 Dividend Kings To Consider
- Casey’s Surges on Strong Q4, More Gains Likely Ahead
- The Most Important Warren Buffett Stock for Investors: His Own
- Government Mandate Sends eVTOL Stocks Flying
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding STE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for STERIS plc (NYSE:STE – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for STERIS Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for STERIS and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.