Bayforest Capital Ltd Cuts Stock Position in STERIS plc $STE

Bayforest Capital Ltd lessened its stake in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 78.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 776 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 2,852 shares during the period. Bayforest Capital Ltd’s holdings in STERIS were worth $197,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. acquired a new position in shares of STERIS in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund purchased a new stake in STERIS during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in STERIS by 115.4% during the fourth quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 112 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in STERIS during the third quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in STERIS by 416.0% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 129 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the period. 94.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on STE shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of STERIS from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings cut shares of STERIS from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Thursday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, STERIS presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $275.20.

STERIS Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of STE opened at $226.25 on Tuesday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $230.67 and its 200-day simple moving average is $245.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 1.75 and a current ratio of 2.48. STERIS plc has a 1 year low of $209.98 and a 1 year high of $269.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.19 billion, a PE ratio of 31.56 and a beta of 1.07.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.53 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.53. STERIS had a net margin of 12.15% and a return on equity of 14.34%. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.32 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. STERIS has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.150-10.300 EPS. Analysts forecast that STERIS plc will post 10.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 19th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th were paid a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. STERIS’s payout ratio is currently 35.15%.

Insider Transactions at STERIS

In related news, Director Cynthia L. Feldmann sold 3,098 shares of STERIS stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $237.21, for a total value of $734,876.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 705 shares in the company, valued at $167,233.05. The trade was a 81.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.07% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.