STERIS (NYSE:STE) Sets New 52-Week High – Time to Buy?

Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) reached a new 52-week high on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $269.37 and last traded at $268.9150, with a volume of 240839 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $264.25.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $273.50.

STERIS Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 2.37 and a quick ratio of 1.63. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $259.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $246.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.62 and a beta of 1.03.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.47 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.38 by $0.09. STERIS had a net margin of 12.07% and a return on equity of 14.43%. The business had revenue of $1.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.43 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.14 earnings per share. STERIS has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.150-10.30 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 9.08 EPS for the current year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 18th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 18th were issued a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 18th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.21%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP John Adam Zangerle sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $265.14, for a total transaction of $3,977,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 33,669 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,926,998.66. This represents a 30.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Renato Tamaro sold 5,036 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $257.55, for a total value of $1,297,021.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 5,695 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,466,747.25. This represents a 46.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 25,044 shares of company stock worth $6,586,218. Insiders own 1.07% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On STERIS

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Park Edge Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of STERIS by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Park Edge Advisors LLC now owns 5,267 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $1,335,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of STERIS by 38.0% in the 4th quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,840 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $466,000 after buying an additional 507 shares during the last quarter. Aberdeen Group plc increased its holdings in STERIS by 25.1% in the 4th quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 100,088 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $25,374,000 after acquiring an additional 20,097 shares during the last quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont boosted its holdings in shares of STERIS by 30.2% in the fourth quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 164 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, Ipswich Investment Management Co. Inc. lifted its stake in STERIS by 7.9% in the 4th quarter. Ipswich Investment Management Co. Inc. now owns 5,039 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $1,277,000 after purchasing an additional 370 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

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.