Peterson Wealth Services Buys New Holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Peterson Wealth Services bought a new stake in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 1,282 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $282,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Millburn Ridgefield Corp bought a new stake in STERIS in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in STERIS in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. 1832 Asset Management L.P. bought a new stake in STERIS in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new stake in STERIS in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $49,000. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. bought a new stake in STERIS in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $50,000. Institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Trading Up 0.2 %

STE traded up $0.37 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $200.61. 81,129 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 454,934. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $224.59 and a 200 day moving average price of $217.71. STERIS plc has a 52-week low of $180.54 and a 52-week high of $254.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.82 billion, a PE ratio of 35.07 and a beta of 0.79.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 7th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.17 by $0.05. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.67% and a net margin of 10.48%. The company had revenue of $1.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.02 EPS. STERIS’s revenue was up 14.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 8.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 23rd were given a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 22nd. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.43%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

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.