Swiss National Bank Trims Stock Holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Swiss National Bank reduced its stake in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 2.6% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 308,960 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 8,400 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in STERIS were worth $67,925,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in STE. Millburn Ridgefield Corp bought a new stake in STERIS during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of STERIS in the third quarter worth $25,000. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new stake in shares of STERIS during the 3rd quarter valued at $49,000. NBC Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of STERIS during the 3rd quarter valued at $50,000. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new position in STERIS in the 3rd quarter worth $54,000. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

STERIS Stock Performance

NYSE STE opened at $207.82 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.43 and a quick ratio of 1.49. STERIS plc has a 1-year low of $185.22 and a 1-year high of $254.00. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $218.46 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $216.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.53 billion, a PE ratio of 36.40 and a beta of 0.81.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.22 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.17 by $0.05. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.67% and a net margin of 10.48%. The firm had revenue of $1.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.02 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 14.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 8.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, June 12th will be issued a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 12th. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.00%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.43%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

STE has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. StockNews.com cut STERIS from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday. JMP Securities reissued a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. KeyCorp initiated coverage on STERIS in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 price target for the company. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, April 12th. Finally, TheStreet raised shares of STERIS from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, STERIS has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus 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.