STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Bought by Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC

Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 11.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 60,302 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after buying an additional 5,999 shares during the period. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC owned about 0.06% of STERIS worth $13,727,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of STE. First Personal Financial Services purchased a new stake in shares of STERIS during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp grew its stake in shares of STERIS by 77.9% during the first quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 121 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of STERIS by 112.7% during the first quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 134 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of STERIS during the fourth quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in STERIS in the first quarter valued at $36,000. 94.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at STERIS

In related news, Director Christopher S. Holland sold 473 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.68, for a total transaction of $113,368.64. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 582 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $139,493.76. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 1.14% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. JMP Securities restated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Piper Sandler reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $225.00 price objective (up from $220.00) on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, May 10th. StockNews.com raised shares of STERIS from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $260.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $243.60.

STERIS Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:STE traded up $2.02 during trading on Friday, reaching $232.34. The company had a trading volume of 558,749 shares, compared to its average volume of 464,844. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $225.81 and its 200 day moving average is $223.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.91 billion, a PE ratio of 60.82 and a beta of 0.83. STERIS plc has a twelve month low of $195.47 and a twelve month high of $243.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.33.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.14 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.16. STERIS had a net margin of 7.36% and a return on equity of 13.85%. The business had revenue of $1.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.27 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.00 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that STERIS plc will post 9.17 EPS for the current year.

STERIS Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 5th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.98%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 5th. This is a positive change from STERIS’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is currently 54.45%.

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.