Time to benefit from their expanding niches

Article Excerpt

Long-time readers know that we keep you informed of important news about the stocks we cover. That means highlighting developments and plans that promise to brighten prospects for investors. Here are two buys that stand out this month: STERIS PLC, $252.92, is a buy. The firm (New York symbol STE; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (www.steris.com; Shares outstanding: 100.1 million; Market cap: $24.8 billion; Dividend yield: 0.7%) sells sterilization equipment, surgical tables, and other products and services used in hospitals and laboratories. In the quarter ended December 31, 2021, Steris’s revenue jumped 49.5%, to $1.2 billion from $808.9 million a year earlier. The increase came from stronger sales across all units plus the acquisition of Cantel Medical in June 2021. Per-share earnings rose 22.5%, to $2.12 from $1.73. Steris’s $3.2 billion in long-term debt is a low 13% of its market cap. It also holds $359.1 million in cash. The company sells into growing markets fuelled by the needs of aging baby boomers. What’s more, roughly 80% of…