Consolidated Planning Corp Boosts Stake in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Consolidated Planning Corp lifted its stake in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 8.7% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 9,270 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after buying an additional 744 shares during the quarter. Consolidated Planning Corp’s holdings in STERIS were worth $2,038,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of STE. Millburn Ridgefield Corp bought a new position in shares of STERIS during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of STERIS during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new position in shares of STERIS during the third quarter worth about $49,000. NBC Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of STERIS during the third quarter worth about $50,000. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new position in shares of STERIS during the third quarter worth about $54,000. Institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:STE traded up $2.36 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $203.90. The stock had a trading volume of 318,142 shares, compared to its average volume of 558,812. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $221.18 and its 200 day simple moving average is $216.80. 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. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.43.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.22 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.35 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.02 earnings per share. STERIS’s revenue was up 14.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 8.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on STE. KeyCorp began coverage on shares of STERIS in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 price objective on the stock. JMP Securities reiterated a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, February 9th. TheStreet upgraded shares of STERIS from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, April 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $239.60.

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.