LaFleur & Godfrey LLC Sells 1,960 Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

LaFleur & Godfrey LLC reduced its holdings in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 3.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 54,803 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after selling 1,960 shares during the quarter. STERIS accounts for 1.5% of LaFleur & Godfrey LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. LaFleur & Godfrey LLC owned about 0.06% of STERIS worth $11,265,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in STERIS during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division acquired a new stake in shares of STERIS during the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of STERIS in the third quarter worth $67,000. Asset Dedication LLC raised its holdings in STERIS by 54.8% in the third quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 291 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $71,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in STERIS by 45.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 583 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $139,000 after acquiring an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.69% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on STE. JMP Securities reiterated a "market outperform" rating and issued a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, November 8th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of STERIS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Piper Sandler raised shares of STERIS from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their target price for the stock from $230.00 to $260.00 in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $260.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, November 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $262.50.

STERIS Price Performance

STERIS stock traded down $0.66 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $209.50. The company's stock had a trading volume of 693,875 shares, compared to its average volume of 416,470. STERIS plc has a 12 month low of $197.82 and a 12 month high of $248.24. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 2.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The company has a market capitalization of $20.68 billion, a PE ratio of 47.83 and a beta of 0.84. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $212.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $224.82.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.12 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.33 billion. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.78% and a net margin of 8.02%. The firm's revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.03 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 9.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 19th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 19th were paid a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.09%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 19th. STERIS's dividend payout ratio is 52.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of STERIS stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $217.32, for a total transaction 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 approximately $2,471,363.04. This trade represents a 12.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.14% of the company's stock.

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.