STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Sold by Sentry Investment Management LLC

Sentry Investment Management LLC lowered its position in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 9.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 521 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 56 shares during the quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $115,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holdings in STERIS by 9.7% in the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 3,041 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $667,000 after buying an additional 268 shares during the period. Fenimore Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in STERIS by 13.1% during the fourth quarter. Fenimore Asset Management Inc. now owns 210,747 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $46,333,000 after purchasing an additional 24,377 shares during the period. Cullen Investment Group LTD. acquired a new position in STERIS during the fourth quarter valued at $1,351,000. Cerity Partners LLC grew its position in STERIS by 5,199.4% during the 4th quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 65,925 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $14,494,000 after purchasing an additional 64,681 shares during the period. Finally, Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. raised its stake in shares of STERIS by 12.9% during the 4th quarter. Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. now owns 45,095 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $9,914,000 after buying an additional 5,168 shares during the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

STERIS Stock Performance

NYSE STE opened at $200.24 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.43 and a quick ratio of 1.49. STERIS plc has a 1-year low of $180.54 and a 1-year high of $254.00. The company has a market cap of $19.79 billion, a PE ratio of 35.07 and a beta of 0.79. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $225.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $217.83.

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

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 23rd were given a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 22nd. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.04%. STERIS’s payout ratio is 36.43%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, February 9th. KeyCorp started coverage on shares of STERIS in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 price objective for the company. TheStreet raised STERIS from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, April 12th. Finally, JMP Securities reiterated a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $239.60.

STERIS 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.