Generation Investment Management LLP Sells 183,828 Shares of STERIS plc $STE

Generation Investment Management LLP lowered its position in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 5.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,170,717 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 183,828 shares during the quarter. STERIS accounts for 4.8% of Generation Investment Management LLP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Generation Investment Management LLP owned 3.22% of STERIS worth $761,670,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in STE. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd purchased a new position in STERIS during the first quarter worth about $349,950,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in STERIS by 55.2% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,520,479 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $344,617,000 after purchasing an additional 540,999 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its position in STERIS by 9.1% during the 1st quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 5,439,349 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $1,232,828,000 after purchasing an additional 452,146 shares during the period. Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in STERIS during the 1st quarter worth approximately $65,435,000. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of STERIS by 507.2% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 184,150 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $41,115,000 after buying an additional 153,821 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.69% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

STE has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on STERIS from $276.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of STERIS from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, September 14th. KeyCorp boosted their price target on STERIS from $277.00 to $288.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, STERIS has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $273.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Renato Tamaro sold 3,204 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $249.24, for a total transaction of $798,564.96. Following the sale, the vice president owned 7,221 shares in the company, valued at $1,799,762.04. This trade represents a 30.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Daniel A. Carestio sold 159 shares of STERIS stock in a transaction on Monday, October 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.82, for a total value of $38,449.38. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 51,096 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,356,034.72. This represents a 0.31% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 1.07% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of STERIS stock opened at $263.88 on Monday. STERIS plc has a 1 year low of $200.98 and a 1 year high of $265.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 2.22 and a quick ratio of 1.53. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $243.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $239.10. The company has a market capitalization of $25.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.41 and a beta of 1.02.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.47 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.38 by $0.09. STERIS had a return on equity of 14.17% and a net margin of 11.61%.The firm had revenue of $1.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.43 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.14 EPS. STERIS has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.150-10.30 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 9.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 18th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 18th will be issued a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 18th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. STERIS’s payout ratio is 36.21%.

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.