As the Q4 earnings season comes to a close, it’s time to take stock of this quarter’s best and worst performers in the surgical equipment & consumables - diversified industry, including STERIS (NYSE:STE) and its peers.

The surgical equipment and consumables industry provides tools, devices, and disposable products essential for surgeries and medical procedures. These companies therefore benefit from relatively consistent demand, driven by the ongoing need for medical interventions, recurring revenue from consumables, and long-term contracts with hospitals and healthcare providers. However, the high costs of R&D and regulatory compliance, coupled with intense competition and pricing pressures from cost-conscious customers, can constrain profitability. Over the next few years, tailwinds include aging populations, which tend to need surgical interventions at higher rates. The increasing integration of AI and robotics into surgical procedures could also create opportunities for differentiation and innovation. However, the industry faces headwinds including potential supply chain vulnerabilities, evolving regulatory requirements, and more widespread efforts to make healthcare less costly.

The 5 surgical equipment & consumables - diversified stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.6%.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 6.5% since the latest earnings results.

STERIS (NYSE:STE)

With a mission critical role in preventing healthcare-associated infections, STERIS (NYSE:STE) provides infection prevention products, sterilization services, and medical equipment that help healthcare facilities and life science companies maintain sterile environments.

STERIS reported revenues of $1.37 billion, up 5.6% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 0.6%. Overall, it was a mixed quarter for the company with full-year EPS guidance in line with analysts’ estimates.

STERIS delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates of the whole group. The stock is up 1.1% since reporting and currently trades at $223.02.

Read our full report on STERIS here, it’s free .

Best Q4: BD (NYSE:BDX)

With a history dating back to 1897 and a presence in virtually every hospital around the globe, Becton Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) develops and manufactures medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment and diagnostic products used by healthcare institutions and professionals worldwide.

BD reported revenues of $5.17 billion, up 9.8% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 1.2%. The business had a very strong quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ constant currency revenue estimates.