STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Stock Holdings Lessened by Signaturefd LLC

Signaturefd LLC lowered its position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 4.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,448 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 161 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $758,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Millburn Ridgefield Corp acquired a new position in STERIS in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in STERIS in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new position in STERIS in the third quarter worth approximately $49,000. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new position in STERIS in the third quarter worth approximately $50,000. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC acquired a new position in STERIS in the third quarter worth approximately $54,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Trading Up 2.5 %

Shares of STERIS stock opened at $205.95 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $222.85 and its 200-day simple moving average is $217.16. The company has a market cap of $20.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.07 and a beta of 0.79. 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 plc has a 1 year low of $180.54 and a 1 year high of $254.00.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 13.67%. STERIS’s quarterly revenue was up 14.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.02 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that STERIS plc will post 8.67 EPS for the current year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 22nd. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.01%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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