Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) Sets New 52-Week High at $78.89

Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) hit a new 52-week high on Friday . The company traded as high as $78.89 and last traded at $78.28, with a volume of 2958 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $77.81.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

SXT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered Sensient Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 15th. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Sensient Technologies from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 29th.

Sensient Technologies Trading Up 0.6 %

The company has a market cap of $3.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.24 and a beta of 0.76. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $75.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $69.39. The company has a current ratio of 4.31, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last issued its earnings results on Friday, April 26th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.79 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $384.67 million during the quarter. Sensient Technologies had a return on equity of 11.40% and a net margin of 6.16%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 2.85 EPS for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, May 6th were issued a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.10%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 3rd. Sensient Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 76.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Essie Whitelaw sold 600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.84, for a total value of $45,504.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 21,826 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,655,283.84. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other Sensient Technologies news, insider Steven B. Morris sold 400 shares of Sensient Technologies stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.97, for a total transaction of $29,188.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 4,082 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $297,863.54. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Essie Whitelaw sold 600 shares of Sensient Technologies stock in a transaction on Friday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.84, for a total value of $45,504.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 21,826 shares in the company, valued at $1,655,283.84. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 2,037 shares of company stock valued at $153,245. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sensient Technologies

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 21.9% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,688,101 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $111,617,000 after purchasing an additional 303,612 shares during the period. Robeco Schweiz AG grew its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 12.8% in the 4th quarter. Robeco Schweiz AG now owns 92,840 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $6,127,000 after acquiring an additional 10,500 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 12.5% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,161,451 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $76,657,000 after buying an additional 129,386 shares in the last quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division increased its position in Sensient Technologies by 31.6% in the 1st quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 13,841 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $958,000 after purchasing an additional 3,320 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brandes Investment Partners LP bought a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies during the 4th quarter worth about $424,000. 90.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Sensient Technologies Company Profile

Sensient Technologies Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and markets colors, flavors, and other specialty ingredients in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, and Africa. The company offers flavor-delivery systems, and compounded and blended products; ingredient products, such as essential oils, natural and synthetic flavors, and natural extracts; and chili powder, paprika, and chili pepper, as well as dehydrated vegetables comprising parsley, celery, and spinach to the food, beverage, and personal care industries.