LaFleur & Godfrey LLC Sells 424 Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

LaFleur & Godfrey LLC cut its stake in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 0.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 63,578 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 424 shares during the quarter. STERIS makes up about 2.1% of LaFleur & Godfrey LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest position. LaFleur & Godfrey LLC owned approximately 0.06% of STERIS worth $13,978,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Millburn Ridgefield Corp bought a new position in STERIS during the third quarter worth $25,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in STERIS during the third quarter worth $25,000. 1832 Asset Management L.P. bought a new position in shares of STERIS in the first quarter valued at $25,000. West Tower Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of STERIS during the second quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new stake in shares of STERIS during the third quarter worth about $49,000. 94.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

STERIS Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE STE traded down $1.09 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $224.43. 97,768 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 417,924. STERIS plc has a 52 week low of $180.54 and a 52 week high of $254.00. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $227.00 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $219.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.50 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.43 and a quick ratio of 1.49.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 7th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.17 by $0.05. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.67% and a net margin of 10.48%. The business 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 business posted $2.02 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 14.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 8.67 EPS for the current year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 23rd were issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.93%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 22nd. STERIS’s payout ratio is presently 36.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on STE. JMP Securities reissued a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 8th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, February 9th. TheStreet raised shares of STERIS from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. KeyCorp assumed coverage on STERIS in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on STERIS from $225.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $239.60.

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.