Swedbank AB Buys 106,100 Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Swedbank AB boosted its position in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 91.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 222,578 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 106,100 shares during the quarter. Swedbank AB owned about 0.23% of STERIS worth $45,753,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Forsta AP Fonden lifted its position in STERIS by 32.3% in the 4th quarter. Forsta AP Fonden now owns 43,400 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $8,921,000 after acquiring an additional 10,600 shares in the last quarter. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in STERIS by 10.1% in the 4th quarter. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 68,126 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $14,281,000 after buying an additional 6,266 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in STERIS in the 4th quarter worth about $78,000. Kavar Capital Partners Group LLC lifted its stake in STERIS by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Kavar Capital Partners Group LLC now owns 22,567 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $4,639,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the period. Finally, KBC Group NV grew its stake in shares of STERIS by 14.3% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 13,798 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $2,836,000 after acquiring an additional 1,727 shares during the period. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

STERIS Price Performance

Shares of STE traded up $2.72 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $223.00. 96,015 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 433,166. The company has a current ratio of 2.41, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The company's 50-day moving average price is $211.90 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $224.77. The company has a market cap of $22.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.91 and a beta of 0.84. STERIS plc has a 52-week low of $197.82 and a 52-week high of $248.24.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.12 by $0.02. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.78% and a net margin of 8.02%. The company had revenue of $1.33 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.33 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.03 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 9.11 earnings per share for the current year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 20th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 20th. STERIS's payout ratio is currently 52.05%.

Insider Buying and Selling at STERIS

In other STERIS news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the senior vice president now owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at $2,471,363.04. This trade represents a 12.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 1.14% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. JMP Securities restated a "market outperform" rating and issued a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Monday, November 18th. Piper Sandler raised STERIS from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their target price for the stock from $230.00 to $260.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. StockNews.com cut 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 $260.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, November 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, STERIS presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $262.50.

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.