STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE – Get Rating) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the eight analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $232.00.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on STERIS from $235.00 to $215.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 9th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $220.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 9th. TheStreet downgraded STERIS from a “b-” rating to a “c+” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. StockNews.com upgraded STERIS from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 8th. Finally, JMP Securities reduced their price objective on STERIS from $250.00 to $240.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th.

STERIS Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:STE opened at $178.54 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.61, a current ratio of 2.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. STERIS has a twelve month low of $159.21 and a twelve month high of $255.93. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $196.09 and its 200-day moving average is $185.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -615.63, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.85.

STERIS (NYSE:STE – Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 8th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.02 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.19 by ($0.17). STERIS had a positive return on equity of 12.86% and a negative net margin of 0.58%. The firm had revenue of $1.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.27 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.12 earnings per share. STERIS’s revenue for the quarter was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that STERIS will post 8.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 24th will be paid a $0.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 23rd. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.05%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -648.25%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. 1832 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new position in shares of STERIS during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Delta Asset Management LLC TN purchased a new position in shares of STERIS during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Fiduciary Alliance LLC purchased a new position in shares of STERIS during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Asset Dedication LLC purchased a new position in shares of STERIS during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in STERIS during the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.35% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Company Profile

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STERIS Plc engages in the provision of healthcare and life science product and service solutions. It operates through the following segments: Healthcare, Life Sciences, Applied Sterilization Technologies, and Dental. The Healthcare segment provides a comprehensive offering for healthcare providers worldwide, focused on sterile processing departments and procedural centers, such as operating rooms and endoscopy suites.