Blue Zone Wealth Advisors LLC Has $5.61 Million Stock Position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Blue Zone Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 2.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 24,937 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after buying an additional 704 shares during the quarter. STERIS accounts for about 1.9% of Blue Zone Wealth Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. Blue Zone Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $5,606,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC acquired a new stake in STERIS in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Pingora Partners LLC bought a new stake in STERIS during the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. Glassman Wealth Services acquired a new stake in STERIS during the fourth quarter worth about $38,000. Spire Wealth Management increased its holdings in STERIS by 88.0% in the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 203 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the period. Finally, AdvisorNet Financial Inc raised its position in shares of STERIS by 144.9% in the 4th quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 311 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $68,000 after buying an additional 184 shares in the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other STERIS news, VP Renato Tamaro sold 1,154 shares of STERIS stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $231.64, for a total transaction of $267,312.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 6,677 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,546,660.28. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, Director Jacqueline B. Kosecoff sold 4,584 shares of STERIS stock in a transaction on Monday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $231.53, for a total transaction of $1,061,333.52. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Renato Tamaro sold 1,154 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $231.64, for a total value of $267,312.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 6,677 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,546,660.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 7,762 shares of company stock worth $1,798,477 in the last quarter. Insiders own 1.14% of the company’s stock.

STERIS Trading Up 1.4 %

Shares of STE stock traded up $3.10 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $219.54. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 833,571 shares, compared to its average volume of 479,369. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 2.36 and a current ratio of 3.08. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $220.09 and its 200-day simple moving average is $221.18. The company has a market cap of $21.70 billion, a PE ratio of 57.47 and a beta of 0.85. STERIS plc has a 52 week low of $195.47 and a 52 week high of $254.00.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.41 by $0.17. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.73% and a net margin of 6.95%. The business had revenue of $1.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.41 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.30 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that STERIS plc will post 9.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, June 12th were given a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 12th. STERIS’s payout ratio is presently 54.45%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

STE has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, May 9th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $225.00 price target (up from $220.00) on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, May 10th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Friday, May 10th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded STERIS from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 15th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, STERIS currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $241.60.

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.