Handelsbanken Fonder AB Has $13.05 Million Stock Position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Handelsbanken Fonder AB raised its holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 9.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 63,482 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after buying an additional 5,621 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB owned 0.06% of STERIS worth $13,049,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in STE. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in STERIS by 171.2% in the 3rd 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 during the last quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp grew its holdings in shares of STERIS by 400.4% during the 4th quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 224,741 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $46,198,000 after purchasing an additional 179,829 shares in the last quarter. Swedbank AB acquired a new stake in shares of STERIS during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,251,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. grew its holdings in shares of STERIS by 2,123.2% during the 3rd quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 113,672 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $27,574,000 after purchasing an additional 108,559 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of STERIS by 9.5% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,114,224 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $270,230,000 after purchasing an additional 96,336 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Price Performance

STERIS stock opened at $220.43 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 2.13 and a quick ratio of 1.40. The company has a market capitalization of $21.66 billion, a PE ratio of 46.80 and a beta of 0.84. STERIS plc has a one year low of $197.82 and a one year high of $248.24. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $213.47 and a 200 day simple moving average of $223.64.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.32 earnings per share (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%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that STERIS plc will post 9.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 20th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.03%. STERIS’s payout ratio is 48.41%.

Insider Buying and Selling at STERIS

In other STERIS news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of STERIS stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The stock was 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 owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,471,363.04. The trade was a 12.88 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.14% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on STE shares. StockNews.com lowered STERIS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. JMP Securities reissued a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC restated a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, November 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average 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.