Brokerages Set STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) PT at $239.60

Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $239.60.

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. TheStreet upgraded shares of STERIS from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, February 9th. JMP Securities restated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 8th. KeyCorp initiated coverage on shares of STERIS in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, April 12th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On STERIS

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of STE. Millburn Ridgefield Corp purchased a new stake in STERIS in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in STERIS in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in STERIS in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Pingora Partners LLC purchased a new stake in STERIS in the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Glassman Wealth Services purchased a new stake in STERIS in the 4th quarter worth about $38,000. Institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Price Performance

STE opened at $200.90 on Thursday. STERIS has a one year low of $180.54 and a one year high of $254.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.18 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.43 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $223.23 and its 200-day simple moving average is $217.29.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.17 by $0.05. STERIS had a net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 13.67%. The company had revenue of $1.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.35 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.02 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 14.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that STERIS will post 8.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, February 23rd were issued a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 22nd. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.04%. STERIS’s payout ratio is currently 36.43%.

About STERIS

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.