STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Sold by Middleton & Co. Inc. MA

Middleton & Co. Inc. MA lessened its holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 3.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 51,168 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,712 shares during the quarter. STERIS comprises approximately 1.3% of Middleton & Co. Inc. MA’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding. Middleton & Co. Inc. MA owned 0.05% of STERIS worth $11,233,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of STE. First Personal Financial Services purchased a new stake in shares of STERIS in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp boosted its holdings in STERIS by 77.9% in the first quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 121 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC grew 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 purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of STERIS during the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Pingora Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of STERIS in the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. 94.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

STERIS Price Performance

STERIS stock opened at $238.38 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 62.40 and a beta of 0.83. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $235.52 and its 200 day moving average price is $225.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.33. STERIS plc has a 1 year low of $195.47 and a 1 year high of $248.24.

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 the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.16. STERIS had a net margin of 7.36% and a return on equity of 13.85%. The business had revenue of $1.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.27 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.00 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 9.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Increases Dividend

The company 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 $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 5th. This is an increase from STERIS’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 59.69%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $260.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. KeyCorp boosted their target price on shares of STERIS from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. StockNews.com raised shares of STERIS from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Finally, JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, STERIS has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $246.00.

Insider Transactions at STERIS

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

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.