Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. Acquires Shares of 612 STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 612 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $135,000.

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

STERIS Stock Performance

STE traded down $1.30 during trading on Friday, hitting $199.51. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 535,935 shares, compared to its average volume of 580,022. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. STERIS plc has a one year low of $180.54 and a one year high of $254.00. The firm has a market cap of $19.71 billion, a PE ratio of 34.96 and a beta of 0.79. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $223.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $217.48.

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

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 23rd were issued a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 22nd. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.04%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.43%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

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.