STE Beats on Q1 Earnings and Revenues, Raises '26 Sales View

Core Insights - STERIS plc (STE) reported first-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.34, reflecting a 15.3% increase year-over-year and surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.9% [1][10] - The company's GAAP EPS was $1.79, marking a 27% increase from the previous year's $1.41 [1] Revenue Performance - Total revenues from continuing operations reached $1.39 billion, an 8.6% year-over-year increase, although this figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.4% [3][10] - Organic revenues at constant exchange rate (CER) rose by 8% year-over-year [3] Segment Analysis - Healthcare Segment: Revenues increased by 8% year-over-year to $974.7 million, driven by a 5% rise in consumable revenues, a 13% increase in service revenues, and a 6% improvement in capital equipment revenues [4] - Applied Sterilization Technologies (AST): Revenues improved by 13% to $281.2 million, with service revenues growing by 12% and capital equipment revenues surging by 46% [5] - Life Sciences Segment: Revenues increased by 5% to $135.2 million, supported by an 8% rise in consumable revenues [6] Margin and Expense Analysis - Gross profit for the quarter was $628 million, up 9.7% year-over-year, with a gross margin expansion of 41 basis points to 45.1% despite a 7.9% increase in the cost of revenues [7] - Selling, general and administrative expenses rose by 5.4% to $353.8 million, while research and development expenses increased by 3.1% to $26.4 million [8] Financial Position - Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the first quarter stood at $279.7 million, up from $171.7 million at the end of fiscal 2025 [11] - Net cash flow from operating activities was $420 million compared to $303.7 million in the previous year [12] Guidance - STERIS raised its fiscal 2026 revenue growth guidance to 8-9%, up from the previous 6-7% projection, with an adjusted EPS forecast of $9.90-$10.15 [10][13] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $5.83 billion, indicating a 6.8% growth from fiscal 2025 [13] Overall Assessment - The company ended the first quarter of fiscal 2026 positively, with both earnings and revenues exceeding estimates across all business segments [14]