Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund Boosts Stake in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund boosted its stake in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 67.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 17,666 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,137 shares during the period. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund’s holdings in STERIS were worth $3,631,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of STE. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of STERIS by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,303,625 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $556,786,000 after buying an additional 17,007 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of STERIS by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,119,643 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $230,160,000 after purchasing an additional 5,419 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in shares of STERIS by 171.2% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 838,569 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $191,370,000 after purchasing an additional 529,308 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of STERIS by 1.2% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 551,453 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $133,749,000 after purchasing an additional 6,334 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Swiss National Bank raised its position in shares of STERIS by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 293,360 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $71,152,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Price Performance

Shares of STERIS stock opened at $223.83 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $21.99 billion, a PE ratio of 47.52 and a beta of 0.84. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $213.84 and a 200 day moving average of $223.22. The company has a current ratio of 2.13, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. STERIS plc has a 12 month low of $197.82 and a 12 month high of $248.24.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.32 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.33 by ($0.01). STERIS had a net margin of 8.66% and a return on equity of 13.91%. On average, research analysts expect that STERIS plc will post 9.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 20th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 20th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.02%. STERIS’s payout ratio is currently 48.41%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently weighed in on STE. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, November 8th. StockNews.com lowered STERIS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Piper Sandler upped their price target on STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, JMP Securities reissued a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, STERIS has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.75.

STERIS Company 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.