Analysts Set STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Price Target at $262.50

STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the five brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $262.50.

A number of brokerages have recently commented on STE. StockNews.com downgraded shares of STERIS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $260.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Piper Sandler upgraded STERIS from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $230.00 to $260.00 in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a report on Monday, November 18th.

Insider Buying and Selling at STERIS

In other STERIS news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.32, for a total value of $365,532.24. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 11,372 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,471,363.04. This trade represents a 12.88 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.14% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of STERIS

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Whalen Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in STERIS during the fourth quarter worth $447,000. Mutual Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of STERIS by 15.3% during the 4th quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 2,029 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $426,000 after buying an additional 269 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its position in shares of STERIS by 655.9% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 10,016 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $2,059,000 after buying an additional 8,691 shares during the last quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in STERIS by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC now owns 30,333 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $6,235,000 after buying an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Simon Quick Advisors LLC boosted its stake in STERIS by 79.5% in the fourth quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $792,000 after buying an additional 1,707 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Trading Down 0.3 %

STERIS stock opened at $209.50 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $20.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.83 and a beta of 0.84. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $211.79 and a 200-day moving average of $224.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 2.41 and a quick ratio of 1.55. STERIS has a one year low of $197.82 and a one year high of $248.24.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.12 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.33 billion. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.78% and a net margin of 8.02%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.03 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that STERIS will post 9.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 19th were paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 19th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.09%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 52.05%.

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.