Stephens Inc. AR Has $2.92 Million Stock Holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Stephens Inc. AR lifted its holdings in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 8.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 14,212 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,121 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR’s holdings in STERIS were worth $2,921,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of STE. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of STERIS in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division boosted its position in STERIS by 65.5% in the fourth quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 192 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of STERIS during the third quarter worth $67,000. Asset Dedication LLC increased its holdings in shares of STERIS by 54.8% during the third quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 291 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $71,000 after buying an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Finally, R Squared Ltd bought a new position in shares of STERIS in the 4th quarter valued at $78,000. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on STE. JMP Securities restated a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. StockNews.com cut shares of STERIS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, STERIS presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $258.75.

Insider Activity at STERIS

In other STERIS news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.32, for a total transaction of $365,532.24. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,471,363.04. The trade was a 12.88 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

STERIS Stock Performance

NYSE:STE opened at $223.52 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a current ratio of 2.13. STERIS plc has a fifty-two week low of $197.82 and a fifty-two week high of $248.24. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $212.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $224.43. The company has a market capitalization of $22.06 billion, a PE ratio of 47.46 and a beta of 0.84.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.33 by ($0.01). STERIS had a return on equity of 13.91% and a net margin of 8.66%. Research analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 20th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 20th. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is 48.41%.

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.