Is it the Right Time to Add STERIS Stock to Your Portfolio?

Core Insights - STERIS plc (STE) is positioned for growth in the upcoming quarters, driven by its Healthcare segment and strong market adoption of its offerings, including infection prevention consumables and capital equipment [1] - The Applied Sterilization Technologies (AST) segment is experiencing robust service revenue growth, contributing positively to the company's overall performance [1] - The company has demonstrated sound financial health, enhancing its attractiveness as an investment [1] Financial Performance - STERIS has a market capitalization of $25.44 billion and an earnings yield of 3.9%, significantly higher than the industry's 0.5% yield [3] - In the past year, STERIS shares have increased by 26.7%, outperforming the industry growth of 5% and the S&P 500's rise of 21.1% [2] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for STERIS' fiscal 2026 earnings per share (EPS) indicates a 10.9% increase to $10.23, with revenues expected to reach $5.93 billion, reflecting an 8.6% growth from fiscal 2025 [12] Healthcare Segment Performance - The Healthcare segment reported a revenue growth of 9% year over year in the second quarter of fiscal 2026, driven by a 10% increase in consumable revenues and a 4% increase in capital equipment revenues [4][7] - Service revenues in the Healthcare segment increased by 13% year over year, with order growth exceeding 3% year to date [4][7] - Margins improved due to increased volume, favorable pricing, and productivity gains, despite challenges from tariffs and inflation [4] AST Segment Performance - The AST segment achieved a 10% growth year over year in the second quarter of fiscal 2026, primarily due to a 13% increase in service revenues [5][7] - The segment benefits from a global network of over 50 contract sterilization and laboratory facilities, with a focus on ethylene oxide (EO) sterilization for single-use, sterile technologies [5] Financial Health - As of the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2026, STERIS had $319 million in cash, a long-term debt of $1.90 billion (down 0.3% sequentially), and no short-term debt [9][7] - The total debt-to-capital ratio was 21.3%, indicating a favorable solvency position [9] Market Challenges - The macroeconomic environment poses challenges, with rising healthcare costs impacting financial operations and increasing production costs due to raw material price fluctuations and tariffs [10] - STERIS faces intense competition from both large companies with extensive product portfolios and smaller firms, which may have greater resources for product development [11]