Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. Has $690,000 Stake in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. reduced its stake in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 2.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,355 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 70 shares during the quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P.’s holdings in STERIS were worth $690,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in STE. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in STERIS by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,303,625 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $556,786,000 after buying an additional 17,007 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of STERIS by 9.5% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,114,224 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $270,230,000 after acquiring an additional 96,336 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in STERIS by 171.2% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 838,569 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $191,370,000 after buying an additional 529,308 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates raised its position in STERIS by 1.5% during the third quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 801,144 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $194,309,000 after acquiring an additional 12,005 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of STERIS by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 551,453 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $133,749,000 after purchasing an additional 6,334 shares during the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at STERIS

In related news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of the business’s 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 transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at $2,471,363.04. The trade was a 12.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on STE shares. Needham & Company LLC restated a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, November 8th. JMP Securities restated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday. StockNews.com lowered shares of STERIS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $258.75.

STERIS Stock Performance

STE opened at $223.13 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 2.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $212.57 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $224.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.37 and a beta of 0.84. STERIS plc has a 12-month low of $197.82 and a 12-month 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 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%. On average, equities analysts forecast that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 20th will be given a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 20th. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is currently 48.41%.

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.