STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the six brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $253.00.

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on STE shares. StockNews.com cut STERIS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Piper Sandler upgraded shares of STERIS from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their price target for the company from $230.00 to $260.00 in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $260.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, JMP Securities reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating and issued a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a report on Wednesday, August 7th.

Insider Buying and Selling at STERIS

In other STERIS news, CFO Michael J. Tokich sold 23,332 shares of STERIS stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $247.00, for a total transaction of $5,763,004.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 42,930 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,603,710. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, Director Christopher S. Holland sold 473 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.68, for a total transaction of $113,368.64. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 582 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $139,493.76. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Michael J. Tokich sold 23,332 shares of STERIS stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $247.00, for a total transaction of $5,763,004.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 42,930 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,603,710. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On STERIS

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Bleakley Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of STERIS by 8.7% during the 3rd quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 1,680 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $407,000 after buying an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its position in shares of STERIS by 8.3% in the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 58,841 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $13,235,000 after purchasing an additional 4,494 shares during the period. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System increased its stake in shares of STERIS by 3.2% during the first quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 106,346 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $23,909,000 after purchasing an additional 3,342 shares in the last quarter. BDF Gestion acquired a new position in shares of STERIS during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,644,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in STERIS by 7.5% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,738,630 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $390,880,000 after buying an additional 120,616 shares in the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

STERIS Stock Up 0.3 %

STERIS stock traded up $0.64 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $225.82. 909,002 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 476,012. STERIS has a 12 month low of $195.47 and a 12 month high of $248.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.33. The company has a market cap of $22.27 billion, a PE ratio of 56.03 and a beta of 0.85. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $233.54 and a two-hundred day moving average of $227.40.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $1.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.27 billion. STERIS had a net margin of 7.36% and a return on equity of 13.85%. STERIS's revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.00 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that STERIS will post 9.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 19th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 19th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 19th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.01%. STERIS's payout ratio is currently 56.58%.

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.