STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Acquired by Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC

Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 21.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 31,223 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,480 shares during the period. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $7,573,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in STE. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of STERIS during the third quarter worth $25,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division acquired a new position in shares of STERIS during the third quarter worth $28,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its position in shares of STERIS by 154.7% during the second quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 191 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of STERIS during the second quarter worth $44,000. Finally, American National Bank acquired a new position in shares of STERIS during the second quarter worth $53,000. 94.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

STERIS Price Performance

Shares of STE opened at $215.89 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $222.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $227.75. The company has a market capitalization of $21.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.29 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a current ratio of 2.41. STERIS plc has a fifty-two week low of $197.82 and a fifty-two week high of $248.24.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.12 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.33 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.33 billion. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.78% and a net margin of 8.02%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.03 EPS. Research analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 9.1 earnings per share for the current year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 19th will be given a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.06%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 19th. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is currently 52.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Michael J. Tokich sold 23,332 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $247.00, for a total transaction of $5,763,004.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 42,930 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,603,710. This represents a 35.21 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $217.32, for a total transaction of $365,532.24. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,471,363.04. The trade was a 12.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.14% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on STE. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research report on Monday, November 18th. Piper Sandler raised STERIS from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their target price for the company from $230.00 to $260.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $260.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, KeyCorp upped their target price on STERIS from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, STERIS currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $262.50.

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.