STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Announces Quarterly Dividend of $0.63

STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, May 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 8th will be given a dividend of 0.63 per share by the medical equipment provider on Friday, June 26th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 8th.

STERIS has raised its dividend payment by an average of 0.1%annually over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 20 years. STERIS has a dividend payout ratio of 22.9% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect STERIS to earn $11.04 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $2.52 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 22.8%.

STERIS Price Performance

NYSE STE opened at $212.98 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $225.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $244.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 2.48 and a quick ratio of 1.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.70 and a beta of 0.95. STERIS has a 52-week low of $209.61 and a 52-week high of $269.44.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.53. STERIS had a net margin of 12.15% and a return on equity of 14.34%. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.32 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that STERIS will post 10.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Cynthia L. Feldmann sold 3,098 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $237.21, for a total transaction of $734,876.58. Following the transaction, the director owned 705 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $167,233.05. This trade represents a 81.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.07% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On STERIS

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. bought a new position in STERIS during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund bought a new position in STERIS during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC raised its holdings in STERIS by 115.4% during the fourth quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 112 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Activest Wealth Management raised its holdings in STERIS by 423.8% during the fourth quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 110 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new position in STERIS during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About STERIS

STERIS Corporation (NYSE: STE) is a global provider of infection prevention, contamination control and procedural products and services for the healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceutical and medical device industries. The company develops, manufactures and supports a broad portfolio of equipment and consumables designed to reduce risk of infection, maintain sterile environments and support critical clinical and manufacturing procedures.

Its offerings include sterilization and decontamination systems, instrument washers and washers-disinfectors, endoscope reprocessing solutions, surgical equipment and procedural disposables, and contamination-control products for cleanrooms and laboratories.