Analysts Set STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Price Target at $239.60

Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the five research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $239.60.

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, February 9th. TheStreet raised STERIS from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. JMP Securities reissued a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. KeyCorp assumed coverage on STERIS in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 price target for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on STERIS from $225.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 4th.

STERIS Trading Down 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE STE opened at $224.82 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $227.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $219.16. The firm has a market cap of $22.21 billion, a PE ratio of 39.37 and a beta of 0.80. STERIS has a twelve month low of $180.54 and a twelve month high of $254.00.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.22 earnings per share 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 analyst estimates of $1.35 billion. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.67% and a net margin of 10.48%. STERIS’s revenue was up 14.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.02 EPS. Analysts expect that STERIS will post 8.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, February 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 22nd. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.93%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.43%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. First Hawaiian Bank grew its stake in STERIS by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 12,490 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,741,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. grew its stake in STERIS by 19.4% during the 4th quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 283 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $62,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Fortune Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in STERIS by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Fortune Financial Advisors LLC now owns 7,022 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,541,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in STERIS by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,114 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $465,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Greenleaf Trust grew its stake in STERIS by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 1,888 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $414,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.