Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) Shares Purchased by Vanguard Group Inc.

Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) by 1.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,389,711 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after purchasing an additional 64,683 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 12.73% of Sensient Technologies worth $355,721,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Robeco Schweiz AG lifted its position in Sensient Technologies by 12.8% in the fourth quarter. Robeco Schweiz AG now owns 92,840 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $6,127,000 after buying an additional 10,500 shares during the last quarter. SG Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sensient Technologies during the fourth quarter worth $6,550,000. Quadrature Capital Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 21.1% in the 4th quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd now owns 26,889 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,775,000 after buying an additional 4,683 shares during the period. Eagle Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Sensient Technologies during the 4th quarter worth about $3,919,000. Finally, Evoke Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Sensient Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $330,000. 90.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on SXT. StockNews.com lowered shares of Sensient Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 15th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of Sensient Technologies from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 29th.

Sensient Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of SXT opened at $74.21 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $74.78 and a 200-day simple moving average of $68.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a current ratio of 4.31. Sensient Technologies Co. has a 1 year low of $52.90 and a 1 year high of $78.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.14 billion, a PE ratio of 34.52 and a beta of 0.78.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 26th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.79 EPS for the quarter. Sensient Technologies had a net margin of 6.16% and a return on equity of 11.40%. The company had revenue of $384.67 million during the quarter. On average, analysts predict that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 2.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 6th were issued a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.21%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 3rd. Sensient Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 76.28%.

Insider Transactions at Sensient Technologies

In related news, insider Steven B. Morris sold 400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the insider now owns 4,082 shares in the company, valued at $297,863.54. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, insider Steven B. Morris sold 400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.97, for a total value of $29,188.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 4,082 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $297,863.54. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Essie Whitelaw sold 1,037 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.75, for a total transaction of $78,552.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 20,789 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,574,766.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 2,037 shares of company stock valued at $153,245. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.