STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Stake Lowered by Rodgers Brothers Inc.

Rodgers Brothers Inc. cut its stake in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 1.7% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 3,514 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 61 shares during the quarter. Rodgers Brothers Inc.’s holdings in STERIS were worth $722,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of STERIS during the 4th quarter worth about $238,836,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in STERIS during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $223,987,000. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in STERIS by 171.2% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 838,569 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $191,370,000 after acquiring an additional 529,308 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in STERIS by 4,534.6% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 219,032 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $45,024,000 after acquiring an additional 214,306 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Boston Trust Walden Corp increased its stake in shares of STERIS by 400.4% during the 4th quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 224,741 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $46,198,000 after purchasing an additional 179,829 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Stock Up 1.9 %

STERIS stock opened at $227.14 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 2.13 and a quick ratio of 1.40. STERIS plc has a fifty-two week low of $197.82 and a fifty-two week high of $248.24. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $222.86 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $221.01. The firm has a market cap of $22.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.22 and a beta of 0.92.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its 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%. As a group, analysts forecast that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 20th were given a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 20th. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.41%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

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.