Avantax Advisory Services Inc. Buys 511 Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Avantax Advisory Services Inc. boosted its holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 16.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,631 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 511 shares during the period. Avantax Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in STERIS were worth $823,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Grove Bank & Trust grew its holdings in shares of STERIS by 4,733.3% during the 1st quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 145 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. ORG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of STERIS in the first quarter worth approximately $43,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of STERIS by 503.0% in the first quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 199 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares during the period. Wayfinding Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of STERIS in the first quarter worth approximately $46,000. Finally, Slocum Gordon & Co LLP bought a new stake in STERIS in the first quarter worth approximately $57,000. Institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Stock Performance

STE stock opened at $226.69 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $22.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.56 and a beta of 0.92. STERIS plc has a 1 year low of $200.98 and a 1 year high of $252.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.96 and a quick ratio of 1.39. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $235.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $228.24.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 14th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.59 by $0.15. STERIS had a return on equity of 14.21% and a net margin of 11.26%. The business had revenue of $1.48 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.47 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.58 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current year.

STERIS Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 4th will be paid a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 4th. This is an increase from STERIS’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. STERIS’s payout ratio is presently 36.77%.

Insider Activity at STERIS

In related news, CEO Daniel A. Carestio sold 17,626 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $242.56, for a total value of $4,275,362.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 51,385 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,463,945.60. The trade was a 25.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 12,828 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.08, for a total value of $3,208,026.24. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president 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. Insiders own 1.07% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Citigroup reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, May 16th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, May 15th. Wall Street Zen cut STERIS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 18th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on STERIS in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $263.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, KeyCorp upped their price target on STERIS from $277.00 to $288.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $270.33.

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.