Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Has $45.69 Million Stock Holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its stake in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 0.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 222,260 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 1,394 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned about 0.23% of STERIS worth $45,688,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of STE. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in STERIS in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division lifted its holdings in STERIS by 65.5% in the 4th quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 192 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in STERIS in the 3rd quarter valued at about $67,000. Asset Dedication LLC lifted its holdings in STERIS by 54.8% in the 3rd quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 291 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $71,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Finally, R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in STERIS in the 4th quarter valued at about $78,000. 94.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on STE shares. Piper Sandler upped 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. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, November 8th. StockNews.com lowered shares of STERIS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $240.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, JMP Securities reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating and set a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $258.75.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $217.32, for a total value of $365,532.24. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at $2,471,363.04. This represents a 12.88 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

STERIS Trading Up 0.1 %

STE stock traded up $0.31 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $219.54. 322,511 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 494,184. The company has a current ratio of 2.13, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. STERIS plc has a 52-week low of $197.82 and a 52-week high of $248.24. The company has a market cap of $21.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.61 and a beta of 0.84. The stock's fifty day moving average is $212.88 and its 200-day moving average is $224.30.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.33 by ($0.01). STERIS had a net margin of 8.66% and a return on equity of 13.91%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 20th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 20th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.04%. STERIS's dividend payout ratio is 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.