Hoxton Planning & Management LLC Reduces Position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Hoxton Planning & Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 6.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,597 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 106 shares during the period. Hoxton Planning & Management LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $351,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Millburn Ridgefield Corp bought a new stake in shares of STERIS during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in STERIS in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. 1832 Asset Management L.P. bought a new position in STERIS in the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new position in STERIS in the third quarter worth approximately $49,000. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. bought a new position in STERIS in the third quarter worth approximately $50,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Price Performance

Shares of STERIS stock traded up $0.78 on Monday, hitting $204.78. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 147,415 shares, compared to its average volume of 436,684. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.43. STERIS plc has a 1 year low of $180.54 and a 1 year high of $254.00. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $226.02 and a 200-day moving average price of $218.12. The company has a market capitalization of $20.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.73 and a beta of 0.79.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.17 by $0.05. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.67% and a net margin of 10.48%. The firm had revenue of $1.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.02 EPS. STERIS’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 8.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, February 23rd were issued a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 22nd. STERIS’s payout ratio is 36.43%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. TheStreet raised shares of STERIS from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. KeyCorp started coverage on shares of STERIS in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 price target on the stock. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 8th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, February 9th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $239.60.

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.