Qtron Investments LLC Acquires Shares of 1,900 STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Qtron Investments LLC bought a new position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 1,900 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $391,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in STERIS by 171.2% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 838,569 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $191,370,000 after acquiring an additional 529,308 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its position in STERIS by 30.8% during the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 10,970 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $2,275,000 after purchasing an additional 2,583 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in STERIS during the third quarter valued at approximately $9,949,000. Merit Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in STERIS in the fourth quarter worth approximately $260,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in STERIS by 19.9% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,128 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $232,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.69% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. JMP Securities reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating and set a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and set a $240.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $258.75.

STERIS Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:STE traded up $2.51 on Friday, reaching $222.53. The company's stock had a trading volume of 451,315 shares, compared to its average volume of 527,798. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $222.48 and a 200 day simple moving average of $219.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a current ratio of 2.13. The company has a market cap of $21.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.25 and a beta of 0.87. STERIS plc has a 52-week low of $197.84 and a 52-week high of $248.24.

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%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 9.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 20th were issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 20th. STERIS's payout ratio is currently 48.41%.

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.