STERIS (NYSE:STE) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of STERIS (NYSE:STE) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report released on Saturday.

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $275.20.

STERIS Price Performance

Shares of NYSE STE opened at $227.60 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 2.48 and a quick ratio of 1.75. STERIS has a 1-year low of $204.90 and a 1-year high of $269.44. The company has a market capitalization of $22.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.74 and a beta of 1.05. The business has a 50-day moving average of $253.80 and a 200-day moving average of $251.42.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.53 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.53. STERIS had a return on equity of 14.34% and a net margin of 12.15%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.32 EPS. STERIS has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.150-10.300 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that STERIS will post 9.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 19th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. STERIS’s payout ratio is presently 35.15%.

Insider Activity at STERIS

In related news, Director Cynthia L. Feldmann sold 3,098 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $237.21, for a total value of $734,876.58. Following the transaction, the director owned 705 shares in the company, valued at approximately $167,233.05. The trade was a 81.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 1.07% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On STERIS

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new position in shares of STERIS during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund bought a new stake in shares of STERIS in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of STERIS by 115.4% in the fourth quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 112 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Activest Wealth Management raised its holdings in STERIS by 423.8% in the fourth quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 110 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new stake in STERIS in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.