LaFleur & Godfrey LLC Reduces Stock Holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

LaFleur & Godfrey LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 0.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 63,578 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 424 shares during the quarter. STERIS accounts for about 2.1% of LaFleur & Godfrey LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest position. LaFleur & Godfrey LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $13,978,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. 1832 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in STERIS during the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Millburn Ridgefield Corp acquired a new position in STERIS in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in STERIS in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. West Tower Group LLC acquired a new position in STERIS in the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new position in shares of STERIS during the third quarter valued at approximately $49,000. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

STE has been the subject of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on STERIS from $225.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 4th. KeyCorp assumed coverage on STERIS in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 price objective on the stock. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, February 9th. JMP Securities restated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. Finally, TheStreet upgraded STERIS from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $239.60.

STERIS Stock Performance

STE stock traded down $1.09 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $224.43. The company had a trading volume of 97,768 shares, compared to its average volume of 417,924. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $22.18 billion, a PE ratio of 39.50 and a beta of 0.80. STERIS plc has a fifty-two week low of $180.54 and a fifty-two week high of $254.00. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $227.00 and a 200 day moving average price of $219.12.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 7th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.17 by $0.05. STERIS had a net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 13.67%. The firm had revenue of $1.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.35 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.02 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 14.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 8.67 earnings per share for the current year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

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 $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 0.93%. STERIS’s payout ratio is currently 36.43%.

STERIS 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.