Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) Shares Bought by Franklin Resources Inc.

Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) by 4.8% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,462 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in Sensient Technologies were worth $270,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Quarry LP purchased a new position in Sensient Technologies in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. nVerses Capital LLC acquired a new position in Sensient Technologies during the 3rd quarter worth $72,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 2,753.7% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,912 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $142,000 after buying an additional 1,845 shares during the last quarter. Paloma Partners Management Co acquired a new stake in Sensient Technologies during the third quarter valued at approximately $210,000. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $214,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.86% of the company’s stock.

Sensient Technologies Stock Performance

SXT opened at $71.26 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $76.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $76.26. The firm has a market cap of $3.02 billion, a PE ratio of 34.10 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a quick ratio of 1.47, a current ratio of 3.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. Sensient Technologies Co. has a fifty-two week low of $55.02 and a fifty-two week high of $82.99.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last issued its earnings results on Friday, October 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.80. The company had revenue of $392.61 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $390.64 million. Sensient Technologies had a net margin of 5.80% and a return on equity of 11.41%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.75 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 2.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 4th were given a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 4th. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.30%. Sensient Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 78.47%.

Insider Activity at Sensient Technologies

In other news, insider Michael C. Geraghty sold 4,000 shares of Sensient Technologies stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.48, for a total value of $321,920.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 36,518 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,938,968.64. This trade represents a 9.87 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com raised Sensient Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th.

Sensient Technologies 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.