GDS Wealth Management Acquires 5,332 Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

GDS Wealth Management raised its position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 14.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 41,885 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,332 shares during the period. GDS Wealth Management’s holdings in STERIS were worth $9,208,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in shares of STERIS by 9.7% during the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 3,041 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $667,000 after purchasing an additional 268 shares in the last quarter. Fenimore Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of STERIS by 13.1% during the fourth quarter. Fenimore Asset Management Inc. now owns 210,747 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $46,333,000 after purchasing an additional 24,377 shares during the last quarter. Cullen Investment Group LTD. purchased a new position in shares of STERIS during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,351,000. Cerity Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of STERIS by 5,199.4% during the fourth quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 65,925 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $14,494,000 after purchasing an additional 64,681 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. raised its holdings in shares of STERIS by 12.9% during the fourth quarter. Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. now owns 45,095 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $9,914,000 after purchasing an additional 5,168 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Price Performance

STE stock traded up $15.95 during trading on Thursday, reaching $226.04. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 926,048 shares, compared to its average volume of 475,059. The company’s fifty day moving average is $217.02 and its 200-day moving average is $216.04. STERIS plc has a 1 year low of $187.07 and a 1 year high of $254.00. The company has a market capitalization of $22.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.59 and a beta of 0.81. 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 (NYSE:STE) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.41 by $0.17. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.67% and a net margin of 10.48%. The firm had revenue of $1.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.41 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.30 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 10.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that STERIS plc will post 8.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.92%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 12th. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.43%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on STE. StockNews.com cut shares of STERIS from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 3rd. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, February 9th. TheStreet upgraded STERIS from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday. Finally, KeyCorp initiated coverage on STERIS in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 price target for the company. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, STERIS currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price 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.