STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Bought by Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 7.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,040 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 144 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.’s holdings in STERIS were worth $448,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. J.Safra Asset Management Corp lifted its position 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 period. Quent Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of STERIS in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of STERIS by 2,262.5% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 189 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its holdings in STERIS by 154.7% during the second quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 191 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE STE opened at $227.22 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $237.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $225.79. The company has a market capitalization of $22.46 billion, a PE ratio of 59.48 and a beta of 0.84. STERIS plc has a 12-month low of $195.47 and a 12-month high of $248.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 2.33 and a quick ratio of 1.49.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last posted 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. The firm had revenue of $1.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.27 billion. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.85% and a net margin of 7.36%. STERIS’s revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.00 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 9.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 20th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 5th were paid a $0.57 dividend. This is an increase from STERIS’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 5th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.00%. STERIS’s payout ratio is presently 59.69%.

Insider Buying and Selling at STERIS

In other STERIS news, CFO Michael J. Tokich sold 23,332 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $247.00, for a total transaction of $5,763,004.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 42,930 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,603,710. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other STERIS 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 transaction of $113,368.64. Following the transaction, the director now owns 582 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $139,493.76. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Michael J. Tokich sold 23,332 shares of STERIS 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 sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 42,930 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,603,710. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.14% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

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.