Equitable Trust Co. Sells 298 Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Equitable Trust Co. lowered its holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 2.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,496 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 298 shares during the period. Equitable Trust Co.’s holdings in STERIS were worth $2,569,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Magnolia Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in STERIS by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Magnolia Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,534 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $521,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in STERIS by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,153 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $765,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Park Edge Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in STERIS by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Park Edge Advisors LLC now owns 4,662 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $958,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in STERIS by 5.7% in the 4th quarter. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,118 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $230,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the period. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in shares of STERIS by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 1,984 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $408,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:STE opened at $224.16 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $22.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.59 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 2.13 and a quick ratio of 1.55. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $212.57 and a 200 day simple moving average of $224.46. STERIS plc has a one year low of $197.82 and a one year high of $248.24.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last issued 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 net margin of 8.66% and a return on equity of 13.91%. Research analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 20th will be given a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 20th. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.41%.

Insider Buying and Selling at STERIS

In other STERIS news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.32, for a total value of $365,532.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,471,363.04. This represents a 12.88 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.14% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, November 8th. Piper Sandler upped their price target on shares of STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com downgraded shares of STERIS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, STERIS presently 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.