Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC Sells 9,357 Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC cut its stake in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 39.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 14,205 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 9,357 shares during the quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $2,920,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of STERIS by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,303,625 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $556,786,000 after purchasing an additional 17,007 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in STERIS by 15.9% in the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 1,261,927 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $257,585,000 after acquiring an additional 172,795 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in STERIS in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $238,836,000. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA increased its holdings in shares of STERIS by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 1,131,374 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $232,565,000 after acquiring an additional 33,618 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of STERIS by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,119,643 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $230,160,000 after purchasing an additional 5,419 shares during the period. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

STERIS Stock Up 1.9 %

STERIS stock opened at $227.14 on Tuesday. STERIS plc has a fifty-two week low of $197.82 and a fifty-two week high of $248.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a current ratio of 2.13. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $222.86 and its 200 day simple moving average is $221.01. The stock has a market cap of $22.32 billion, a PE ratio of 48.22 and a beta of 0.92.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.33 by ($0.01). STERIS had a return on equity of 13.91% and a net margin of 8.66%. Research analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 9.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 20th were given a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 20th. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is presently 48.41%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

STE has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. JMP Securities reiterated a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $240.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $258.75.

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.