Yahoo Finance STERIS (STE) AST Business Expands, New Offerings Aid Growth
STERIS' STE strong rebound of procedure volumes in the United States is leading to solid growth in the Healthcare business. The company carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present.
STERIS’ Healthcare segment is gaining from the successful market adoption of its comprehensive offerings, including infection prevention consumables and capital equipment. Further, its services to maintain these equipments, repair reusable procedural instruments and outsource instrument reprocessing services are gaining traction. Over the past few quarters, the segment’s organic growth has been driven by the continuous procedure volume growth in the United States and favorable pricing and market share gains.
The company’s fiscal 2024 concluded with Healthcare achieving 13% constant currency organic revenue growth, marking its third consecutive year of double-digit expansion. The success was fueled by the actions of its operation teams to reduce lead times and return backlog to normal levels. By the fourth quarter, the lead times returned to pre-pandemic levels for the first time in two years.
STERIS’ Applied Sterilization Technologies (“AST”) successfully offers a wide range of sterilization modalities through a worldwide network of more than 50 contract sterilization and laboratory facilities. STERIS, particularly, is gaining success with ethylene oxide (EO) sterilization. STERIS’ Its customers in this business are mostly the manufacturers of single-use, sterile technologies that are used in aseptic manufacturing of vaccines and biopharmaceuticals.
In fiscal 2024, the AST division faced obstacles, mainly due to inventory destocking in some categories of MedTech and the decline in customer demand for bioprocessing, both of which were deemed temporary. However, since the fiscal third quarter, there have been positive signs of recovery in the MedTech demand, especially in the United States, driven by the improving procedure environment and the burndown of customer inventory. This recovery trend became prominent within the AST business as well.
STERIS plc Price
STERIS plc price | STERIS plc Quote
On the flip side, the current macroeconomic environment across the globe has adversely impacted STERIS’ financial operations. Governments and insurance companies continue to look for ways to contain the rising cost of healthcare. This might put pressure on players in the healthcare industry, with STERIS being no exception. Increases in prices or decreases in the availability of raw materials and oil and gas might impair STERIS’ procurement of necessary materials for product manufacturing, or increase production costs. In addition, economic and market volatility have been affecting the investment portfolio of STERIS’ legacy defined benefit pension plan. We are concerned about the fact that lingering macroeconomic softness might hamper STERIS’ growth.
These macroeconomic factors are also resulting in a significant escalation in the company’s operating expenses. STERIS witnessed a 7.7%% year-over-year rise in selling, general and administrative expenses in the fiscal fourth quarter. Research and development expenses rose 7.6%, which usually gives a hint about the company positively investing in innovations. However, if the increased expenses do not lead to the development of competitive products or services, there could be a risk of declining demand for STERIS’ offerings, which may hurt profitability.
Other Key Picks
Some other top-ranked stocks in the broader medical space are Hims & Hers Health HIMS, Medpace MEDP and Haemonetics HAE, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks Rank #1 stocks here.
Hims & Hers Heath shares have soared 139.5% in the past year. Estimates for the company’s earnings have increased from 18 cents to 20 cents for 2024 and from 33 cents to 38 cents for 2025 in the past 30 days.
HIMS’ earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed in one, delivering an average surprise of 79.2%. In the last reported quarter, it posted an earnings surprise of a staggering 150%.
Estimates for Medpace’s 2024 earnings per share have remained constant at $11.29 in the past 30 days. Shares of the company have surged 72.2% in the past year compared with the industry’s 4.4% growth.
MEDP’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 12.8%. In the last reported quarter, it delivered an earnings surprise of 30.6%.
Estimates for Haemonetics’ fiscal 2025earnings per share have moved 0.4% north to $4.57 in the past 30 days. Shares of the company have dipped 1.3% in the past year.
HAE’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 13.2%. In the last reported quarter, it delivered an earnings surprise of 2.3%.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Haemonetics Corporation (HAE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
STERIS plc (STE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Medpace Holdings, Inc. (MEDP) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Hims & Hers Health, Inc. (HIMS) : Free Stock Analysis Report
