STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the five analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $258.75.

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on STE shares. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. JMP Securities reiterated a "market outperform" rating and set a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $240.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, February 6th.

STERIS Stock Performance

NYSE STE traded down $2.40 on Thursday, reaching $210.21. The stock had a trading volume of 46,665 shares, compared to its average volume of 531,313. 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 stock has a market cap of $20.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.63 and a beta of 0.87. The business's 50-day moving average price is $223.23 and its 200 day moving average price is $220.44. STERIS has a 12-month low of $197.82 and a 12-month high of $248.24.

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STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 analysts expect that STERIS will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 20th were given a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 20th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.08%. STERIS's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.41%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On STERIS

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in STERIS by 70.1% in the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 262 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $59,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its stake in shares of STERIS by 41.7% during the 1st quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 683 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $155,000 after buying an additional 201 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of STERIS by 4,534.6% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 219,032 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $45,024,000 after buying an additional 214,306 shares during the last quarter. Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ purchased a new stake in STERIS during the fourth quarter valued at about $2,401,000. Finally, Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new stake in STERIS during the fourth quarter worth about $10,623,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.69% of the company's stock.

About STERIS

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.