Natixis Advisors LLC Has $36.54 Million Stake in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Natixis Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 8.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 161,215 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 13,220 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC owned about 0.16% of STERIS worth $36,539,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in STE. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of STERIS by 21.8% in the first quarter. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,278 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $290,000 after purchasing an additional 229 shares during the period. Bayforest Capital Ltd lifted its position in STERIS by 1,783.3% during the first quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 565 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $128,000 after purchasing an additional 535 shares during the period. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. grew its stake in STERIS by 14.2% during the first quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 1,198 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $271,000 after buying an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its holdings in STERIS by 97.4% in the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 18,552 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $4,205,000 after buying an additional 9,153 shares during the period. Finally, LPL Financial LLC raised its position in shares of STERIS by 7.6% in the 1st quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 38,400 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $8,703,000 after buying an additional 2,696 shares in the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. They set a “hold” rating and a $263.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, May 16th. JMP Securities boosted their price target on STERIS from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 16th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded STERIS from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $260.00 to $276.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $270.33.

STERIS Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:STE opened at $226.54 on Friday. STERIS plc has a 52-week low of $200.98 and a 52-week high of $252.79. The company has a market capitalization of $22.29 billion, a PE ratio of 36.54 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 1.96. The company has a fifty day moving average of $235.88 and a 200-day moving average of $227.84.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 14th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.59 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $1.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.47 billion. STERIS had a return on equity of 14.21% and a net margin of 11.26%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.58 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 9.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 4th will be issued a $0.63 dividend. This is a boost from STERIS’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 4th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.77%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other STERIS news, CEO Daniel A. Carestio sold 17,626 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $242.56, for a total transaction of $4,275,362.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 51,385 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,463,945.60. The trade was a 25.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 12,828 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.08, for a total transaction of $3,208,026.24. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 11,372 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,843,909.76. The trade was a 53.01% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.07% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

STERIS Profile

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.