STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Sold by Whittier Trust Co.

Whittier Trust Co. decreased its holdings in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 13.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,532 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 705 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co.’s holdings in STERIS were worth $932,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 529,308 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its position in shares of STERIS by 30.8% during the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 10,970 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,275,000 after acquiring an additional 2,583 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in shares of STERIS during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $9,949,000. Public Sector Pension Investment Board grew its holdings in shares of STERIS by 13.2% in the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 4,283 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $1,039,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the period. Finally, Merit Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in STERIS in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $260,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

STERIS Trading Down 2.3 %

STERIS stock opened at $220.34 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $21.65 billion, a PE ratio of 46.78 and a beta of 0.92. 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 stock has a 50-day moving average price of $221.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $221.97. STERIS plc has a 52 week low of $197.82 and a 52 week high of $248.24.

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

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 20th were issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 20th. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 48.41%.

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.