Knowledge Leaders Capital LLC Lowers Stock Position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Knowledge Leaders Capital LLC cut its position in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 3.6% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 5,702 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 212 shares during the quarter. STERIS makes up 2.0% of Knowledge Leaders Capital LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest holding. Knowledge Leaders Capital LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $1,254,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its position in STERIS by 9.7% during the third quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 3,041 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $667,000 after acquiring an additional 268 shares during the period. Fenimore Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of STERIS by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Fenimore Asset Management Inc. now owns 210,747 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $46,333,000 after buying an additional 24,377 shares during the last quarter. Cullen Investment Group LTD. acquired a new stake in shares of STERIS in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,351,000. Cerity Partners LLC increased its position in STERIS by 5,199.4% during the fourth quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 65,925 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $14,494,000 after purchasing an additional 64,681 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. increased its position in STERIS by 12.9% during the fourth quarter. Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. now owns 45,095 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $9,914,000 after purchasing an additional 5,168 shares during the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on STE shares. KeyCorp started coverage on shares of STERIS in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 price objective for the company. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, February 9th. TheStreet raised shares of STERIS from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, April 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $239.60.

STERIS Stock Up 1.2 %

Shares of NYSE STE traded up $2.36 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $203.90. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 318,142 shares, compared to its average volume of 558,812. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $221.18 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $216.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.43 and a quick ratio of 1.49. STERIS plc has a 1 year low of $181.78 and a 1 year high of $254.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.71 and a beta of 0.79.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.17 by $0.05. STERIS had a net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 13.67%. The company had revenue of $1.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.02 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 14.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 8.67 EPS for the current year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 23rd were issued a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 22nd. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.02%. STERIS’s payout ratio is 36.43%.

STERIS Company 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.