STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the nine ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $273.50.

STE has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of STERIS from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Sunday, September 14th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th.

STERIS Stock Performance

NYSE STE opened at $250.07 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $24.54 billion, a PE ratio of 35.93 and a beta of 1.03. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $255.47 and its 200-day simple moving average is $245.00. STERIS has a 1-year low of $200.98 and a 1-year high of $268.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 2.37 and a quick ratio of 1.63.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.47 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.38 by $0.09. STERIS had a return on equity of 14.43% and a net margin of 12.07%.The firm had revenue of $1.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.43 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.14 earnings per share. STERIS has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.150-10.30 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that STERIS will post 9.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 18th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 18th were paid a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 18th. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.21%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Julia Madsen sold 5,008 shares of STERIS stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $262.00, for a total transaction of $1,312,096.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 10,710 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,806,020. This trade represents a 31.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Daniel A. Carestio sold 159 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.82, for a total value of $38,449.38. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 51,096 shares in the company, valued at $12,356,034.72. This trade represents a 0.31% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 25,203 shares of company stock valued at $6,624,667. 1.07% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. acquired a new position in shares of STERIS during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in STERIS during the second quarter worth about $29,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in STERIS during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in STERIS by 416.0% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 129 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TruNorth Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of STERIS in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Company Profile

STERIS Corporation (NYSE: STE) is a global provider of infection prevention, contamination control and procedural products and services for the healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceutical and medical device industries. The company develops, manufactures and supports a broad portfolio of equipment and consumables designed to reduce risk of infection, maintain sterile environments and support critical clinical and manufacturing procedures.

Its offerings include sterilization and decontamination systems, instrument washers and washers-disinfectors, endoscope reprocessing solutions, surgical equipment and procedural disposables, and contamination-control products for cleanrooms and laboratories.