Sotera Health Company (SHC) doesn't exactly scream "exciting investment opportunity" at first glance. It's a sterilization services company dealing with medical devices and pharmaceutical products. But here's the thing: it's quietly dominating a niche market with absurdly high margins, and the market hasn't caught on yet.
The Bull Case Gets Fresh Backing
William Blair just initiated coverage on Sotera Health, and they're pretty enthusiastic about what they see. The company provides sterilization solutions, lab testing, and advisory services across three business segments, and each one leads its respective market.
But the real competitive edge isn't just that each business is strong individually. It's how they work together. Analyst Max Smock wrote Thursday that Sotera's integration of its sterilization services, its Cobalt-60 supply capabilities, and its broad lab offerings creates something competitors can't easily replicate.
The financial profile backs this up. We're talking about sticky customer relationships, significant recurring revenue, meaningful pricing power in the 3%-4% range annually, and adjusted EBITDA margins above 50%. Those are best-in-class numbers, and they stem from a wide competitive moat and high customer switching costs.
The Competition Problem (Or Lack Thereof)
Here's where it gets interesting: there aren't great comparables for Sotera. The only significant competitor to its core Sterigenics business is Steris Plc's (STE) Applied Sterilization Technologies division, which accounts for less than 20% of Steris's total revenue. That tells you something about how specialized this market is.
The Valuation Disconnect
Despite similar growth outlooks for the next few years, Sotera trades at a meaningful discount to peers on both adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EPS. William Blair initiated with an Outperform rating, noting that Sotera trades at 10.7x their 2026 adjusted EBITDA estimate. That's roughly five turns below peers and four turns below Steris, its closest competitor.
Why the discount? The answer is ethylene oxide litigation, which has been hanging over the company like a dark cloud. But as those legal risks continue to ease, William Blair sees the potential for meaningful upside to earnings estimates over time. Improving free cash flow should drive significant reductions in interest expenses and taxes, which flows straight to the bottom line.
The Path to a Valuation Reset
As the litigation overhang clears, Smock expects investors to better recognize what they're actually getting: a durable competitive position, a strong financial profile, and earnings upside driven by improving free cash flow.
The math is compelling. By 2027, William Blair thinks the stock can re-rate toward its long-term average forward EBITDA multiple of 12.6x. Based on their 2028 adjusted EBITDA estimate, that implies approximately 45% upside over the next two years.
Sotera Health shares were up 1.58% at $17.07 Thursday, approaching their 52-week high of $17.78. The company might not be flashy, but with improving earnings visibility and fading legal concerns, it's starting to look like the market might finally give credit where it's due.