STERIS faces earnings test as AST destocking questions persist

STERIS plc is reporting its fiscal first-quarter earnings, with focus on whether its Applied Sterilization Technologies (AST) segment shows stabilization after recent destocking. Analysts anticipate earnings of $2.50 per share on $1.5 billion revenue, representing year-over-year growth but a sequential decline. Investors will be watching for signs of normalizing customer destocking and management's commentary on capital deployment.