Rhumbline Advisers Sells 4,261 Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Rhumbline Advisers lowered its holdings in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 2.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 199,510 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after selling 4,261 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers owned approximately 0.20% of STERIS worth $41,011,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Magnolia Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in STERIS by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Magnolia Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,534 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $521,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in STERIS by 1.6% during the third quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,153 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $765,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Park Edge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in STERIS by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Park Edge Advisors LLC now owns 4,662 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $958,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in STERIS by 5.7% in the fourth quarter. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,118 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $230,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sage Private Wealth Group LLC raised its holdings in STERIS by 4.1% in the fourth quarter. Sage Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 1,537 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $316,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.69% of the company's stock.

STERIS Stock Performance

Shares of STE traded down $0.36 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $220.43. 412,247 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 474,275. 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 50-day moving average price of $213.47 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $223.64. STERIS plc has a 1 year low of $197.82 and a 1 year high of $248.24. The stock has a market cap of $21.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.80 and a beta of 0.84.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.33 by ($0.01). STERIS had a net margin of 8.66% and a return on equity of 13.91%. Equities analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 20th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.03%. STERIS's payout ratio is 48.41%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on STE shares. StockNews.com cut shares of STERIS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, November 8th. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $240.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on shares of STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, JMP Securities reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating and issued a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, STERIS has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $258.75.

Insider Activity at STERIS

In related news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The shares were 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 directly owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,471,363.04. The trade was a 12.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.14% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.