Commonwealth Equity Services LLC Sells 11,269 Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC decreased its holdings in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 52.6% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 10,171 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 11,269 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $2,091,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in STERIS by 0.7% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,303,625 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $556,786,000 after buying an additional 17,007 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of STERIS by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,119,643 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $230,160,000 after acquiring an additional 5,419 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of STERIS during the 4th quarter valued at $223,987,000. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in STERIS by 171.2% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 838,569 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $191,370,000 after acquiring an additional 529,308 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in STERIS by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 569,837 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $117,136,000 after purchasing an additional 18,384 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Stock Up 0.6 %

STERIS stock opened at $224.35 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.13, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $222.24 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $221.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.63 and a beta of 0.92. STERIS plc has a 1-year low of $197.82 and a 1-year high of $248.24.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.33 by ($0.01). STERIS had a net margin of 8.66% and a return on equity of 13.91%. On average, equities research analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 20th were issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 20th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.02%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.41%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on STE. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $258.75.

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.