STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Sold by Sentry Investment Management LLC

Sentry Investment Management LLC decreased its holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 17.1% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 432 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 89 shares during the quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $95,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. First Personal Financial Services acquired a new stake in STERIS during the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp lifted its position in STERIS by 77.9% during the 1st quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 121 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC lifted its position in STERIS by 112.7% during the 1st quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 134 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in STERIS during the 1st quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Pingora Partners LLC acquired a new stake in STERIS during the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Christopher S. Holland sold 473 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $239.68, for a total transaction of $113,368.64. Following the transaction, the director now owns 582 shares in the company, valued at approximately $139,493.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, Director Christopher S. Holland sold 473 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $239.68, for a total value of $113,368.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 582 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $139,493.76. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Michael J. Tokich sold 23,332 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $247.00, for a total value of $5,763,004.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 42,930 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,603,710. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.14% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Trading Down 0.7 %

STERIS stock opened at $244.79 on Friday. STERIS plc has a 12 month low of $195.47 and a 12 month high of $248.24. The firm has a market cap of $24.14 billion, a PE ratio of 64.08 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a current ratio of 2.33, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $234.02 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $225.29.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.16. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.85% and a net margin of 7.36%. The firm had revenue of $1.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.27 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.00 EPS. The business’s revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 9.05 earnings per share for the current year.

STERIS Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 5th will be given a dividend of $0.57 per share. This is a positive change from STERIS’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 5th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.93%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 59.69%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

STE has been the subject of several analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, August 8th. StockNews.com raised STERIS from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $260.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. JMP Securities restated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, KeyCorp upped their price objective on STERIS from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $246.00.

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.