Generali Asset Management SPA SGR Purchases New Shares in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 4,199 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $863,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in STERIS by 9.5% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,114,224 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $270,230,000 after buying an additional 96,336 shares during the last quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in STERIS by 0.8% in the third quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 35,875 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $8,701,000 after acquiring an additional 283 shares during the period. Caprock Group LLC purchased a new position in STERIS in the third quarter worth about $839,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of STERIS by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 37,931 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $9,200,000 after purchasing an additional 279 shares during the period. Finally, Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI purchased a new stake in shares of STERIS during the 3rd quarter valued at about $223,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.69% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on STE shares. Piper Sandler raised 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. JMP Securities reissued a "market outperform" rating and set a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $240.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $258.75.

Remove Ads

STERIS Price Performance

STE traded down $1.44 on Tuesday, hitting $221.57. 550,996 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 504,069. STERIS plc has a one year low of $197.82 and a one year high of $248.24. 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 firm has a market cap of $21.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.04 and a beta of 0.92. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $221.34 and its 200-day simple moving average is $221.73.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results 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 return on equity of 13.91% and a net margin of 8.66%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 9.08 EPS for the current year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 20th were given a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 20th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.03%. 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.