4,494 Shares in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Acquired by Entropy Technologies LP

Entropy Technologies LP purchased a new position in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 4,494 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $924,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in STERIS by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 1,984 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $408,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the period. Harvey Investment Co. LLC bought a new stake in STERIS during the fourth quarter valued at $11,585,000. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd lifted its stake in STERIS by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 11,314 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $2,326,000 after purchasing an additional 268 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lifted its stake in STERIS by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 222,260 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $45,688,000 after purchasing an additional 1,394 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of STERIS by 5.7% in the 4th quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 59,298 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $12,189,000 after acquiring an additional 3,213 shares during the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

STERIS Stock Performance

STERIS stock traded up $0.31 during trading on Friday, reaching $219.54. The company had a trading volume of 322,511 shares, compared to its average volume of 494,184. STERIS plc has a 52 week low of $197.82 and a 52 week high of $248.24. The company has a current ratio of 2.13, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.61 and a beta of 0.84. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $212.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $224.30.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.32 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. Sell-side analysts forecast that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The company 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. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 20th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.04%. STERIS's payout ratio is 48.41%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other STERIS news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.32, for a total value of $365,532.24. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 11,372 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,471,363.04. This trade represents a 12.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.14% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $240.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, November 8th. JMP Securities reiterated a "market outperform" rating and set a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. StockNews.com downgraded STERIS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their price target on STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $258.75.

STERIS 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.