Michael C. Geraghty Sells 4,000 Shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) Stock

Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) insider Michael C. Geraghty sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.48, for a total value of $321,920.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 36,518 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,938,968.64. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Sensient Technologies Stock Down 1.4 %

SXT traded down $1.17 on Friday, reaching $79.57. 228,055 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 174,749. The company has a market cap of $3.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.63 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 3.74 and a quick ratio of 1.47. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $77.20 and its 200-day moving average price is $75.85. Sensient Technologies Co. has a 52-week low of $55.02 and a 52-week high of $82.99.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.80. Sensient Technologies had a return on equity of 11.41% and a net margin of 5.80%. The business had revenue of $392.61 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $390.64 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.75 earnings per share. Sensient Technologies’s quarterly revenue was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 2.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, November 4th will be issued a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 4th. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.06%. Sensient Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 78.47%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SXT has been the subject of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Sensient Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Sensient Technologies from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 29th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sensient Technologies

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SXT. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 5.2% during the 2nd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 3,680 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $273,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares during the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System boosted its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 10,076 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $748,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co boosted its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 11,664 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $865,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE increased its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 6.1% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 6,355 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $510,000 after acquiring an additional 366 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of Sensient Technologies in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors own 90.86% of the company’s stock.

About Sensient Technologies

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.