HighTower Advisors LLC Sells 62 Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

HighTower Advisors LLC cut its stake in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 0.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 11,511 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 62 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $2,366,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position 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 purchasing an additional 529,308 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its position 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 purchasing an additional 2,583 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in STERIS during the third quarter valued at approximately $9,949,000. Public Sector Pension Investment Board lifted its position 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 purchasing an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Merit Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in STERIS during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $260,000. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

STERIS Trading Down 2.3 %

STE stock opened at $220.34 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a current ratio of 2.13. STERIS plc has a one year low of $197.82 and a one year high of $248.24. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $221.02 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $221.97. The company has a market capitalization of $21.65 billion, a PE ratio of 46.78 and a beta of 0.92.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.32 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 predict that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 20th were paid a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 20th. STERIS’s payout ratio is 48.41%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on shares of STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, JMP Securities reissued a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.75.

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.