STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Sold by Dash Acquisitions Inc.

Dash Acquisitions Inc. reduced its position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 1.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 25,821 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 285 shares during the quarter. STERIS comprises approximately 1.3% of Dash Acquisitions Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. Dash Acquisitions Inc.’s holdings in STERIS were worth $5,708,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of STE. Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its stake in STERIS by 9.7% during the 4th quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 63,482 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $13,049,000 after purchasing an additional 5,621 shares during the period. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of STERIS by 236.8% during the fourth quarter. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC now owns 2,829 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $582,000 after buying an additional 1,989 shares during the period. Callahan Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of STERIS by 9.3% during the fourth quarter. Callahan Advisors LLC now owns 38,569 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $7,928,000 after buying an additional 3,286 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its position in STERIS by 78.3% in the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,276 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $673,000 after acquiring an additional 1,439 shares during the period. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc raised its stake in STERIS by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 15,045 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $3,093,000 after acquiring an additional 654 shares during the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

STE has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. StockNews.com lowered STERIS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. JMP Securities restated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their target price on STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $258.75.

STERIS Stock Performance

NYSE STE opened at $221.52 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $213.38 and a 200 day moving average price of $223.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 2.13 and a quick ratio of 1.40. The company has a market capitalization of $21.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.03 and a beta of 0.84. STERIS plc has a 1-year low of $197.82 and a 1-year high of $248.24.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.32 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.33 by ($0.01). STERIS had a return on equity of 13.91% and a net margin of 8.66%. Sell-side analysts expect that STERIS plc will post 9.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 20th will be given a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 20th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.03%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is currently 48.41%.

Insider Buying and Selling at STERIS

In other news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $217.32, for a total value of $365,532.24. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at $2,471,363.04. This represents a 12.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 1.14% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.