STE vs. ZBH: STERIS vs. Zimmer Biomet Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do STERIS (STE) and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

STERIS (STE) and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH) are both classified in the Health Care Equipment sub-industry within the broader Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Company profile comparison for STERIS (STE) and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH)
Profile Item	STE	ZBH
Name	STERIS plc	Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc.
Country/Region	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Health Care	Health Care
GICS Industry Group	Health Care Equipment & Services	Health Care Equipment & Services
GICS Industry	Health Care Equipment & Supplies	Health Care Equipment & Supplies
GICS Sub-Industry	Health Care Equipment	Health Care Equipment
Market Capitalization	24.50 billion USD	19.98 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	June 1, 1992	July 25, 2001
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

STE

ZBH

GSPC

STERIS (STE) vs. Zimmer Biomet (ZBH), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for STERIS (STE) and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for STERIS (STE) and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for STERIS (STE) and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH)
Metric	STE	ZBH
Total Return (1Y)	-1.85%	24.04%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	9.57%	2.38%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	3.26%	-2.74%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

STE

ZBH

GSPC

STERIS (STE) vs. Zimmer Biomet (ZBH), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for STERIS (STE) and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for STERIS (STE) and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH)
Metric	STE	ZBH
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	26.39%	32.39%
Beta (5Y)	0.81	0.42
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-36.18%	-43.94%
Avg. Volume (3M)	694.02K	2.09M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

STE and ZBH are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for STERIS (STE) and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH)
Metric	STE	ZBH
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	-0.23	0.61
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	-0.34	0.93

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both STERIS (STE) at 11.61% and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH) at 6.03% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

STE

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

11.61%

Max: 47.61%
Q3: 14.36%
STE: 11.61%
Median: 5.45%
Q1: -10.67%
Min: -47.01%

ZBH

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

6.03%

Max: 47.61%
Q3: 14.36%
ZBH: 6.03%
Median: 5.45%
Q1: -10.67%
Min: -47.01%

STERIS (STE) vs. Zimmer Biomet (ZBH): A comparison of their ROE against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

STERIS (STE) at 13.41% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Zimmer Biomet (ZBH) at 8.95%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

STE

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

13.41%

Max: 29.35%
STE: 13.41%
Q3: 9.33%
Median: 2.18%
Q1: -6.29%
Min: -28.46%

ZBH

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

8.95%

Max: 29.35%
Q3: 9.33%
ZBH: 8.95%
Median: 2.18%
Q1: -6.29%
Min: -28.46%

STERIS (STE) vs. Zimmer Biomet (ZBH): A comparison of their net margin against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both STERIS (STE) at 19.18% and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH) at 17.35% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

STE

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

19.18%

Max: 35.43%
STE: 19.18%
Q3: 14.14%
Median: 6.81%
Q1: -0.28%
Min: -16.29%

ZBH

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

17.35%

Max: 35.43%
ZBH: 17.35%
Q3: 14.14%
Median: 6.81%
Q1: -0.28%
Min: -16.29%

STERIS (STE) vs. Zimmer Biomet (ZBH): A comparison of their operating margin against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for STERIS (STE) and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH)
Metric	STE	ZBH
ROE (TTM)	11.61%	6.03%
ROA (TTM)	7.00%	3.81%
Net Margin (TTM)	13.41%	8.95%
Operating Margin (TTM)	19.18%	17.35%
Gross Margin (TTM)	44.30%	69.33%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both STERIS (STE) at 8.73% and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH) at 7.20% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

STERIS (STE) vs. Zimmer Biomet (ZBH): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

STERIS (STE) at 27.90% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Zimmer Biomet (ZBH) at -19.86% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for STE.

STERIS (STE) vs. Zimmer Biomet (ZBH): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for STERIS (STE) and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH)
Metric	STE	ZBH
Revenue Growth (YoY)	8.73%	7.20%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	9.38%	5.85%
EPS Growth (YoY)	27.90%	-19.86%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	94.97%	47.78%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both STERIS (STE) at 2.05 and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH) at 1.46 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.

STE

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

2.05

Max: 7.59
Q3: 4.00
STE: 2.05
Median: 1.98
Q1: 1.37
Min: 0.30

ZBH

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

1.46

Max: 7.59
Q3: 4.00
Median: 1.98
ZBH: 1.46
Q1: 1.37
Min: 0.30

STERIS (STE) vs. Zimmer Biomet (ZBH): A comparison of their current ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both STERIS (STE) at 0.28 and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH) at 0.60 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

STE

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.28

Max: 1.88
Q3: 0.91
Median: 0.58
STE: 0.28
Q1: 0.16
Min: 0.00

ZBH

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.60

Max: 1.88
Q3: 0.91
ZBH: 0.60
Median: 0.58
Q1: 0.16
Min: 0.00

STERIS (STE) vs. Zimmer Biomet (ZBH): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for STERIS (STE) and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH)
Metric	STE	ZBH
Current Ratio (MRQ)	2.05	1.46
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.28	0.60
Net Debt / EBITDA	0.91	2.85

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both STERIS (STE) at 1.02% and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH) at 0.90% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.

STE

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

1.02%

STE: 1.02%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ZBH

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.90%

ZBH: 0.90%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

STERIS (STE) vs. Zimmer Biomet (ZBH): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both STERIS (STE) at 30.61% and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH) at 24.24% pay out more of their earnings than any of their industry peers — the thinnest cover in their groups, so dividend headroom deserves attention.

STE

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

30.61%

STE: 30.61%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ZBH

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

24.24%

ZBH: 24.24%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

STERIS (STE) vs. Zimmer Biomet (ZBH): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for STERIS (STE) and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH)
Metric	STE	ZBH
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.02%	0.90%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	30.61%	24.24%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both STERIS (STE) at 29.93 and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH) at 26.66 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

STE

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

29.93

Max: 80.41
Q3: 47.62
STE: 29.93
Median: 29.93
Q1: 21.19
Min: 4.21

ZBH

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

26.66

Max: 80.41
Q3: 47.62
Median: 29.93
ZBH: 26.66
Q1: 21.19
Min: 4.21

STERIS (STE) vs. Zimmer Biomet (ZBH): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both STERIS (STE) at 3.97 and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH) at 2.33 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

STE

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

3.97

Max: 8.80
Q3: 4.32
STE: 3.97
Median: 2.13
Q1: 1.10
Min: 0.03

ZBH

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

2.33

Max: 8.80
Q3: 4.32
ZBH: 2.33
Median: 2.13
Q1: 1.10
Min: 0.03

STERIS (STE) vs. Zimmer Biomet (ZBH): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Zimmer Biomet (ZBH) at 1.58 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while STERIS (STE) at 3.38 is valued near its industry’s middle — ZBH is cheaper on assets, though weigh it against ROE and asset quality.

STE

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

3.38

Max: 11.68
Q3: 6.12
STE: 3.38
Median: 3.00
Q1: 1.73
Min: -1.31

ZBH

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

1.58

Max: 11.68
Q3: 6.12
Median: 3.00
Q1: 1.73
ZBH: 1.58
Min: -1.31

STERIS (STE) vs. Zimmer Biomet (ZBH): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for STERIS (STE) and Zimmer Biomet (ZBH)
Metric	STE	ZBH
P/E Ratio (TTM)	29.93	26.66
P/S Ratio (TTM)	3.97	2.33
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	3.38	1.58
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	3.36%	7.22%