STERIS plc $STE Shares Sold by National Pension Service

National Pension Service decreased its position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 83.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 30,216 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 156,097 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service’s holdings in STERIS were worth $6,363,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its position in shares of STERIS by 20,515.0% during the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 35,267,316 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $7,426,239,000 after buying an additional 35,096,240 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of STERIS in the 4th quarter valued at $320,298,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in STERIS by 178.6% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,183,070 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $291,704,000 after acquiring an additional 758,423 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners acquired a new position in STERIS during the 3rd quarter worth about $158,982,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in STERIS by 21.9% during the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,502,897 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $737,605,000 after acquiring an additional 629,532 shares during the period. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

STERIS Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of NYSE:STE opened at $211.10 on Friday. STERIS plc has a fifty-two week low of $195.14 and a fifty-two week high of $269.44. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $225.55 and its 200 day moving average price is $221.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The stock has a market cap of $20.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.81 and a beta of 0.91.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.49 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $1.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.49 billion. STERIS had a net margin of 13.34% and a return on equity of 14.34%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.34 EPS. STERIS has set its FY 2027 guidance at 11.000-11.300 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 11.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.69 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 4th. This is a positive change from STERIS’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. This represents a $2.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is 33.74%.

Insider Activity at STERIS

In other news, VP John Zangerle sold 1,419 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $209.28, for a total value of $296,968.32. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 35,259 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,379,003.52. The trade was a 3.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Mohsen Sohi sold 4,058 shares of STERIS stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.78, for a total transaction of $956,795.24. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 24,305 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,730,632.90. The trade was a 14.31% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 1.12% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of STERIS from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, August 9th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $275.00 target price (up from $270.00) on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of STERIS from $275.00 to $270.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $271.33.

STERIS Profile

STERIS plc (NYSE: STE) is a global provider of products and services designed to support infection prevention, sterilization, surgical procedures and other critical healthcare and life sciences activities. The company serves hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, dental practices, pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturers, medical device companies, and research organizations.

Its offerings include sterilizers, washers, surgical tables and lights, operating-room equipment, endoscopy products, infection-prevention consumables, and related maintenance and technical services.