Compass Ion Advisors LLC Trims Holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Compass Ion Advisors LLC trimmed its position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 4.1% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 2,683 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 115 shares during the period. Compass Ion Advisors LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $552,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in STERIS by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,303,625 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $556,786,000 after purchasing an additional 17,007 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in STERIS by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,119,643 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $230,160,000 after purchasing an additional 5,419 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in STERIS in the 4th quarter valued at about $223,987,000. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in STERIS by 171.2% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 838,569 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $191,370,000 after purchasing an additional 529,308 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in STERIS by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 569,837 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $117,136,000 after purchasing an additional 18,384 shares in the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

STERIS Stock Up 0.2 %

STE opened at $228.29 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $220.09 and a 200 day moving average price of $222.22. The company has a market cap of $22.43 billion, a PE ratio of 48.47 and a beta of 0.92. STERIS plc has a 1 year low of $197.82 and a 1 year 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.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last posted its 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%. Sell-side analysts expect that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 20th. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.41%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

STE has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. JMP Securities reiterated a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report 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 MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $258.75.

STERIS Company 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.