STE Q4 Earnings Beat, Margins Expand, Stock Up in Aftermarket

Core Viewpoint - STERIS plc reported mixed results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, with adjusted earnings per share (EPS) exceeding estimates while revenues fell short of expectations [13]. Financial Performance - Adjusted EPS for Q4 fiscal 2025 was $2.74, a 13.7% increase year-over-year, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.8% [1] - GAAP EPS was $1.48, down 3.9% from $1.54 in the previous year [1] - Full-year adjusted EPS was $9.22, up 12.4% year-over-year, also exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.4% [2] Revenue Analysis - Q4 revenues from continuing operations were $1.48 billion, a 4.2% increase year-over-year, but missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.1% [3] - Organic revenues at constant exchange rate (CER) rose 6% year-over-year [3] - Full-year revenues from continuing operations reached $5.46 billion, a 6.2% increase year-over-year, matching the Zacks Consensus Estimate [3] Segment Performance - Healthcare segment revenues increased 5% year-over-year to $1.10 billion, with consumable revenues up 6% and service revenues up 13%, partially offset by a 4% decline in capital equipment revenues [4] - Applied Sterilization Technologies (AST) revenues improved 9% to $273.9 million, driven by 6% growth in service revenues [5] - Life Sciences segment revenues decreased 7% to $149.5 million, attributed to the divestiture of the CECS business, with consumable revenues growing 8% but capital equipment and service revenues declining significantly [6] Margin and Expense Insights - Gross profit for the quarter was $641.2 million, a 10% increase year-over-year, with gross margin expanding 224 basis points to 43.3% [7] - Selling, general and administrative expenses rose 8% to $333.9 million, while research and development expenses increased 0.8% to $27.7 million [8] - Adjusted operating expenses totaled $361.6 million, up 7.4% year-over-year, with adjusted operating margin expanding 153 basis points to 18.9% [8] Cash Flow and Guidance - Cash and cash equivalents at the end of fiscal 2025 were $171.7 million, down from $207 million at the end of fiscal 2024 [10] - Cumulative net cash flow from operating activities was $1.15 billion, compared to $973.2 million in the previous year [11] - For fiscal 2026, the company expects revenues from continuing operations to increase approximately 6-7%, with adjusted EPS projected in the range of $9.90-$10.15 [12]