Jones Financial Companies Lllp Has $156,000 Position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 19.4% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 757 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 123 shares during the quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp’s holdings in STERIS were worth $156,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in STERIS by 171.2% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 838,569 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $191,370,000 after purchasing an additional 529,308 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its stake in STERIS by 30.8% in the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 10,970 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,275,000 after purchasing an additional 2,583 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV increased its stake in STERIS by 52.0% in the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 12,071 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,928,000 after purchasing an additional 4,132 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in STERIS in the third quarter valued at approximately $9,949,000. Finally, Public Sector Pension Investment Board increased its stake in STERIS by 13.2% in the third quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 4,283 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,039,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

STERIS Stock Up 2.1 %

Shares of STE stock opened at $227.04 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.13, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. STERIS plc has a 1 year low of $197.82 and a 1 year high of $248.24. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $219.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $222.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.20 and a beta of 0.92.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 8.66% and a return on equity of 13.91%. On average, equities analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 9.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The firm 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. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 20th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.00%. STERIS’s payout ratio is currently 48.41%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $240.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Piper Sandler upped their target price on shares of STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, JMP Securities reissued a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research report 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 company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $258.75.

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.