STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Stock Position Lessened by Wealthfront Advisers LLC

Wealthfront Advisers LLC lowered its position in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 15.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,879 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 339 shares during the quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $386,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in STERIS by 171.2% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 838,569 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $191,370,000 after buying an additional 529,308 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in STERIS by 30.8% during 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 buying an additional 2,583 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV boosted its stake in STERIS by 52.0% during the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 12,071 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,928,000 after buying an additional 4,132 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in STERIS during the third quarter valued at about $9,949,000. Finally, Public Sector Pension Investment Board boosted its stake in STERIS by 13.2% during 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 buying an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Stock Up 2.1 %

Shares of STERIS stock opened at $227.04 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $219.17 and a 200 day moving average price of $222.38. The company has a market cap of $22.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.20 and a beta of 0.92. 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.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 13.91% and a net margin of 8.66%. As a group, analysts expect that STERIS plc will post 9.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 20th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 20th. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is currently 48.41%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Piper Sandler upped their target price on STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target 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.