Greenwood Capital Associates LLC Sells 151 Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Greenwood Capital Associates LLC trimmed its position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 4.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,138 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 151 shares during the quarter. Greenwood Capital Associates LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $645,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of STERIS in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division raised its position in STERIS by 65.5% in the fourth quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 192 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in STERIS in the third quarter valued at $67,000. Asset Dedication LLC increased its position in shares of STERIS by 54.8% during the third quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 291 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $71,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the period. Finally, R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of STERIS in the 4th quarter valued at about $78,000. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

STE has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $260.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. StockNews.com cut shares of STERIS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Needham & Company LLC restated a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, November 8th. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their price target on STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $263.75.

STERIS Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of STE stock opened at $219.53 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $212.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $224.61. The stock has a market cap of $21.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.12 and a beta of 0.84. STERIS plc has a 12 month low of $197.82 and a 12 month high of $248.24. The company has a current ratio of 2.41, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.14 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.12 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.33 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.33 billion. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.78% and a net margin of 8.02%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.03 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that STERIS plc will post 9.11 earnings per share for the current year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 20th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 20th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.04%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 52.05%.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $217.32, for a total transaction of $365,532.24. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,471,363.04. This trade represents a 12.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.14% of the company’s stock.

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.