STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Sold by Teacher Retirement System of Texas

Teacher Retirement System of Texas lessened its holdings in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 5.4% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 19,688 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,113 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas’ holdings in STERIS were worth $4,047,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of STERIS by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,303,625 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $556,786,000 after purchasing an additional 17,007 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in STERIS by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,119,643 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $230,160,000 after buying an additional 5,419 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in STERIS during the fourth quarter worth about $223,987,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in STERIS by 171.2% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 838,569 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $191,370,000 after buying an additional 529,308 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of STERIS by 3.3% during 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 acquiring an additional 18,384 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Stock Up 1.2 %

Shares of NYSE:STE opened at $223.03 on Tuesday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $221.34 and its 200-day simple moving average is $221.73. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 2.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. STERIS plc has a 52-week low of $197.82 and a 52-week high of $248.24. The company has a market capitalization of $21.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.35 and a beta of 0.92.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last released 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 net margin of 8.66% and a return on equity of 13.91%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 20th were paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 20th. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is presently 48.41%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently weighed in on STE. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $240.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Piper Sandler raised their price target on STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, JMP Securities reiterated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $258.75.

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.