Versor Investments LP Acquires 221 Shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT)

Versor Investments LP lifted its holdings in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) by 5.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,521 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after buying an additional 221 shares during the period. Versor Investments LP’s holdings in Sensient Technologies were worth $322,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Sensient Technologies in the fourth quarter worth about $65,000. KBC Group NV lifted its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 77.3% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,787 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $127,000 after purchasing an additional 779 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 32.0% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 2,229 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $159,000 after purchasing an additional 541 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 37.0% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,619 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $187,000 after purchasing an additional 707 shares during the period. Finally, Paloma Partners Management Co bought a new position in shares of Sensient Technologies during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $210,000. 90.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Sensient Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th.

Sensient Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SXT opened at $68.72 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 3.55, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. Sensient Technologies Co. has a 12 month low of $65.83 and a 12 month high of $82.99. The company has a market capitalization of $2.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.37 and a beta of 0.77. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $72.61 and its 200 day moving average is $75.41.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last released its earnings results on Friday, February 14th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.65 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.01. Sensient Technologies had a return on equity of 11.93% and a net margin of 8.01%. The firm had revenue of $376.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $375.10 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.51 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 3.1 EPS for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 4th were paid a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 4th. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.39%. Sensient Technologies’s payout ratio is 55.78%.

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.