STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Bought by Metis Global Partners LLC

Metis Global Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 20.9% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 5,578 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 964 shares during the period. Metis Global Partners LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $1,226,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Millburn Ridgefield Corp acquired a new position in STERIS during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of STERIS during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new position in STERIS during the third quarter worth $49,000. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new position in STERIS in the third quarter worth $50,000. Finally, AdvisorNet Financial Inc increased its stake in STERIS by 144.9% during the fourth quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 311 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $68,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. KeyCorp initiated coverage on STERIS in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 target price for the company. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $250.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, February 9th. StockNews.com lowered shares of STERIS from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 3rd. JMP Securities reiterated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Finally, TheStreet upgraded shares of STERIS from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $239.60.

STERIS Stock Performance

STE stock opened at $210.20 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $20.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.81 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $217.16 and a 200 day simple moving average of $215.97. STERIS plc has a fifty-two week low of $185.22 and a fifty-two week high of $254.00.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.43 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $1.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.41 billion. STERIS had a net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 13.67%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.30 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 8.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 12th. STERIS’s payout ratio is currently 36.43%.

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.