STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Sold by Congress Asset Management Co.

Congress Asset Management Co. lessened its position in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 81.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 111,301 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after selling 498,235 shares during the quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. owned about 0.11% of STERIS worth $26,995,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. West Coast Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of STERIS by 2.8% in the third quarter. West Coast Financial LLC now owns 1,640 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $398,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLC raised its stake in STERIS by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLC now owns 6,175 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $1,356,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp lifted its position in STERIS by 77.9% during the 1st quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 121 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. grew its stake in shares of STERIS by 7.6% in the 2nd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 763 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $172,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of STERIS by 16.5% during the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 402 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $82,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.69% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

STERIS Price Performance

STERIS stock traded up $3.33 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $225.18. The company had a trading volume of 486,901 shares, compared to its average volume of 473,925. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $233.94 and its 200-day simple moving average is $226.68. STERIS plc has a 1 year low of $195.47 and a 1 year high of $248.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 2.33 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The company has a market capitalization of $22.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.04 and a beta of 0.84.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $1.28 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.27 billion. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.85% and a net margin of 7.36%. STERIS's quarterly revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.00 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 9.02 EPS for the current year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 19th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.01%. STERIS's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 56.58%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

STE has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered shares of STERIS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $260.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of STERIS from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Piper Sandler raised STERIS from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $230.00 to $260.00 in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $253.00.

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.