STERIS Announces Financial Results for Fiscal 2026 Second Quarter 

Insights

Healthcare & Financial Strategy Analyst

STERIS posted accelerating revenue and profit, raised full-year guidance, and generated stronger free cash flow.

STERIS grew total revenue to $1.5 billion in Q2 and delivered as-reported EPS of $1.94 and adjusted EPS of $2.47, with constant-currency organic revenue up 9%. The gain in operating income across Healthcare, AST and Life Sciences reflects higher volume, price, productivity and prior restructuring benefits, while cash from operations of $707.8 million and free cash flow of $527.7 million through the first half underpin the improved liquidity profile.

Key dependencies and risks remain explicit: the company cites tariff costs and inflation as headwinds and still expects a roughly $45 million pre-tax drag from tariffs. The outlook was raised: constant-currency organic revenue now targeted at 7-8%, adjusted EPS to $10.15–$10.30, and free cash flow to about $850 million. These metrics depend on sustaining volume/price trends and foreign exchange assumptions reduced to a 1.00% headwind.

Watch near-term catalysts and timing: the management conference call on Nov 6, 2025 for detail on margin drivers, the company’s ability to offset the $45 million tariff impact, and quarterly cadence of service versus capital equipment revenue (capital was uneven across segments). For the fiscal year horizon expect updates tied to reported quarterly beats/misses against the new guidance range.

• Total revenue from continuing operations increased 10%; constant currency organic revenue grew 9%
• As reported EPS from continuing operations increased to $1.94; adjusted EPS increased to $2.47
• Fiscal 2026 constant currency organic revenue, EPS and free cash flow outlook increased
  
  

DUBLIN, IRELAND , Nov. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- STERIS plc (NYSE: STE) (“STERIS” or the “Company”) today announced financial results for its fiscal 2026 second quarter ended September 30, 2025. Total revenue from continuing operations for the second quarter of fiscal 2026 increased 10% to $1.5 billion compared with $1.3 billion in the second quarter of fiscal 2025. Constant currency organic revenue growth from continuing operations for the second quarter was 9%.

“We are pleased with our performance in the second quarter,” said Dan Carestio, President and CEO of STERIS. “Our performance exceeded expectations and margins improved nicely, despite several headwinds. As a result, we are increasing our outlook for fiscal 2026.”

Total Company Second Quarter Results from Continuing Operations
As reported, net income from continuing operations for the second quarter was $191.9 million or $1.94 per diluted share, compared with $150.2 million or $1.51 per diluted share in the second quarter of fiscal 2025. Adjusted net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2026 was $244.5 million or $2.47 per diluted share, compared with the previous year’s second quarter of $212.2 million or $2.14 per diluted share.

Second Quarter Segment Results from Continuing Operations
Healthcare revenue as reported grew 9% in the second quarter to $1,033.8 million compared with $944.2 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2025. This performance reflected 13% improvement in service revenue, 10% growth in consumable revenue and 4% growth in capital equipment revenue. Constant currency organic revenue growth was 9% compared to last year’s second quarter. Healthcare operating income was $259.5 million compared with $228.0 million in last year’s second quarter. The increase in operating income was primarily due to improved volume, price, productivity and the benefit of prior restructuring efforts, which were partially offset by tariff costs and inflation.

Fiscal 2026 second quarter revenue for Applied Sterilization Technologies (AST) increased 10% as reported to $281.5 million compared with $256.7 million in the same period last year. This performance reflected 13% growth in service revenue and a 76% decline in capital equipment revenue. Constant currency organic revenue growth was 7% compared to last year’s second quarter. Segment operating income was $127.6 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2026, compared with operating income of $109.9 million in the same period last year. The operating income increase compared with the prior year primarily reflects improved price, volume and favorable mix.

Life Sciences second quarter revenue as reported increased 13% to $145.0 million compared with $127.9 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2025. This performance reflected 39% growth in capital equipment revenue, 9% growth in service revenue and 7% growth in consumable revenue. Constant currency organic revenue increased 12% compared to last year’s second quarter. Operating income increased to $59.9 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2026 compared with $53.7 million in the prior year’s second quarter. The operating income increase compared with the prior year primarily reflects improved volume and price, which more than offset tariff costs and inflation.

Cash Flow
Net cash provided by operations for the first half of fiscal 2026 was $707.8 million, compared with $554.4 million in the first half of fiscal 2025. Free cash flow for the first half of fiscal 2026 was $527.7 million compared with $344.5 million in the prior year period. The increase in free cash flow during the period was driven primarily by the growth in earnings and working capital improvements.

Fiscal 2026 Outlook Increased
For fiscal 2026, the Company expects as reported revenue from continuing operations to increase 8-9%, unchanged from prior outlook. Expectations for foreign currency impact are reduced to 100 basis points from prior expectations of 200 basis points. Constant currency organic revenue from continuing operations is now anticipated to grow 7-8% compared with prior expectations of 6-7%. Adjusted earnings per diluted share from continuing operations are also increasing and are now expected to be in the range of $10.15 to $10.30 compared with prior expectations of $9.90 to $10.15. Included in this outlook is the negative impact of tariffs, estimated to reduce pre-tax profit by approximately $45 million, unchanged from prior outlook. The fiscal 2026 outlook assumes an effective tax rate of approximately 24%, an increase of 50 bps from our prior expectation of approximately 23.5%.

Capital expenditures are anticipated to be approximately $375 million, unchanged from prior expectations. Free cash flow is now expected to be approximately $850 million, an increase from prior expectations of $820 million.

Conference Call
As previously announced, STERIS management will host a conference call tomorrow, November 6, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. ET. The conference call can be heard at www.steris-ir.com or via phone by dialing 1-800-715-9871 in the United States or 1-646-307-1963 internationally, then asking to join the conference call for STERIS plc.

For those unable to listen to the conference call live, a replay will be available beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET tomorrow either at www.steris-ir.com or via phone. To access the replay of the call, please use the access code 2170300 and dial 1-877-344-7529 in the United States or 1-412-317-0088 internationally.

About STERIS
STERIS is a leading global provider of products and services that support patient care with an emphasis on infection prevention. WE HELP OUR CUSTOMERS CREATE A HEALTHIER AND SAFER WORLD by providing innovative healthcare and life science products and services around the globe. For more information, visit www.steris.com.

Company Contact:
Julie Winter, Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
Julie_Winter@steris.com

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Adjusted net income, adjusted income from operations, free cash flow, adjusted EPS and constant currency organic revenue are non-GAAP measures that may be used from time to time and should not be considered replacements for U.S. GAAP results. Non-GAAP financial measures are presented in this release with the intent of providing greater transparency to supplemental financial information used by management and the Board of Directors in their financial analysis and operational decision making. These amounts are disclosed so that the reader has the same financial data that management uses with the belief that it will assist investors and other readers in making comparisons to our historical operating results and analyzing the underlying performance of our operations for the periods presented. The Company believes that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures, when considered along with our U.S. GAAP financial measures, provides a more complete understanding of the factors and trends affecting our business than could be obtained absent this disclosure.

Adjusted net income, adjusted EPS and adjusted income from operations exclude the amortization of intangible assets acquired in business combinations, acquisition and divestiture related transaction costs and gains or losses, integration costs related to acquisitions, tax restructuring costs, and certain other unusual or non-recurring items. STERIS believes this measure is useful because it excludes items that may not be indicative of or are unrelated to our core operating results and provides a baseline for analyzing trends in our underlying businesses.

The Company defines free cash flow as cash flows from operating activities less purchases of property, plant, equipment and intangibles, plus proceeds from the sale of property, plant, equipment, and intangibles. STERIS believes that free cash flow is a useful measure of the Company’s ability to fund future principal debt repayments and growth outside of core operations, pay cash dividends, and repurchase ordinary shares.

To measure the percentage organic revenue growth, the Company removes the impact of significant acquisitions and divestitures that affect the comparability and trends in revenue. To measure the percentage constant currency organic revenue growth, the impact of changes in currency exchange rates and acquisitions and divestitures that affect the comparability and trends in revenue are removed. The impact of changes in currency exchange rates is calculated by translating current year results at prior year average currency exchange rates.

Because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, it may not be possible to compare these financial measures with other companies’ non-GAAP financial measures having the same or similar names. These adjusted financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for reported sales, gross profit, operating income, net earnings and net earnings per diluted share, the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures are an additional way of viewing aspects of the Company’s operations that, when viewed with U.S. GAAP results and the reconciliations to corresponding U.S. GAAP financial measures below, provide a more complete understanding of the business. The Company strongly encourages investors and shareholders to review its financial statements and publicly-filed reports in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This release may contain statements concerning certain trends, expectations, forecasts, estimates, or other forward-looking information affecting or relating to STERIS or its industry, products or activities that are intended to qualify for the protections afforded “forward-looking statements” under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other laws and regulations. Forward-looking statements speak only as to the date the statement is made and may be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “may,” “will,” “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “estimates,” “projects,” “targets,” “forecasts,” “outlook,” “impact,” “potential,” “confidence,” “improve,” “optimistic,” “deliver,” “orders,” “backlog,” “comfortable,” “trend,” and “seeks,” or the negative of such terms or other variations on such terms or comparable terminology.

Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements including, without limitation, those identified in STERIS’s recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation: (a) operating costs, pressure on pricing (including, without limitation, as a result of inflation), Customer loss and business disruption (including, without limitation, difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, Customers, clients or suppliers) being greater than expected and leading to erosion of profit margins; (b) STERIS’s ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses into its existing businesses, including unknown or inestimable liabilities, impairments, or increases in expected integration costs or difficulties in connection with the integration of such businesses; (c) changes in tax laws or interpretations or the adoption of certain income tax treaties in jurisdictions where we operate that could increase our consolidated tax liabilities, including changes in tax laws that would result in STERIS being treated as a domestic corporation for United States federal tax purposes, or tariffs and/or other trade barriers; (d) the possibility that compliance with laws, court rulings, certifications, regulations, or other regulatory actions, or the outcome of any pending or threatened litigation, including the ethylene oxide litigation, may delay, limit or prevent new product or service introductions, impact production, supply and/or marketing of existing products or services, result in uncovered costs, or otherwise affect STERIS’s performance, results, prospects or value; (e) the potential of international unrest, including military conflicts, economic downturn and effects of currency fluctuations; (f) the possibility of delays in receipt of orders, order cancellations, or the manufacture or shipment of ordered products; (g) the possibility that anticipated growth, performance or other results may not be achieved, or that timing, execution, impairments, or other issues associated with STERIS’s businesses, industry or initiatives may adversely impact STERIS’s performance, results, prospects or value; (h) the impact on STERIS and its operations of any legislation, regulations or orders, including but not limited to any new trade, regulations or orders, that may be implemented by the U.S. administration or Congress, or of any responses thereto by non-U.S. governments; (i) the possibility that anticipated financial results, anticipated revenue, productivity improvements, cost savings, growth synergies, and other anticipated benefits of acquisitions, restructuring efforts, and divestitures will not be realized or will be less than anticipated; (j) the level of STERIS’s indebtedness limiting financial flexibility or increasing future borrowing costs; (k) the effects of changes in credit availability and pricing, as well as the ability of STERIS and STERIS’s Customers and suppliers to adequately access the credit markets, on favorable terms or at all, when needed; (l) the impacts of increasing competition within our industry, which may exert pressure on our pricing strategy or lead to decreasing demand for our products and services; (m) the effects on our operations resulting from labor-related issues, such as strikes, unsuccessful union negotiations and other workforce disruptions; (n) the possibility of economic downturns and recessions, which could negatively impact our business by reducing consumer and Customer spending. Unless legally required, STERIS does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements even if events make clear that any projected results, express or implied, will not be realized.

Attachment

• STERIS 2Q26 Financial Tables 11.5.25