Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC Increases Stock Holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC boosted its stake in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 1.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 41,201 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 514 shares during the quarter. STERIS comprises about 0.6% of Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 29th largest holding. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $9,058,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. 1832 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of STERIS during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Millburn Ridgefield Corp acquired a new position in shares of STERIS in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of STERIS in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new position in shares of STERIS during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of STERIS during the third quarter worth approximately $50,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on STE. 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. TheStreet upgraded STERIS from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, April 12th. Finally, KeyCorp began coverage on STERIS in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 price target for the company. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $239.60.

STERIS Stock Performance

NYSE STE traded down $1.86 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $198.95. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 187,455 shares, compared to its average volume of 459,028. The stock has a market cap of $19.66 billion, a PE ratio of 35.15 and a beta of 0.79. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $224.20 and a 200 day simple moving average of $217.59. STERIS plc has a 52 week low of $180.54 and a 52 week high of $254.00. The company has a current ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

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

STERIS Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 23rd were given a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 22nd. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.05%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.43%.

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.