Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. Raises Stock Holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. grew its stake in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 1.8% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 38,600 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after buying an additional 700 shares during the period. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V.’s holdings in STERIS were worth $7,935,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in STERIS by 171.2% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 838,569 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $191,370,000 after buying an additional 529,308 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. increased its position in STERIS by 24.6% in the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 13,410 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $3,252,000 after buying an additional 2,647 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its position in STERIS by 30.8% in the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 10,970 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $2,275,000 after buying an additional 2,583 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV increased its position in STERIS by 52.0% in the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 12,071 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $2,928,000 after buying an additional 4,132 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in STERIS in the third quarter worth about $9,949,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Piper Sandler increased their price target on STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Finally, JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $258.75.

STERIS Price Performance

Shares of STE stock opened at $219.23 on Friday. STERIS plc has a 52-week low of $197.82 and a 52-week high of $248.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a current ratio of 2.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.54 and a beta of 0.84. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $214.76 and a 200 day moving average price of $223.11.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.33 by ($0.01). STERIS had a return on equity of 13.91% and a net margin of 8.66%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 20th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.04%. STERIS’s payout ratio is currently 48.41%.

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.