Blue Trust Inc. Sells 1,112 Shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT)

Blue Trust Inc. decreased its stake in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) by 58.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 800 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 1,112 shares during the quarter. Blue Trust Inc.’s holdings in Sensient Technologies were worth $57,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Sensient Technologies during the fourth quarter worth $65,000. KBC Group NV raised its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 77.3% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,787 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $127,000 after acquiring an additional 779 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings 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 worth $159,000 after acquiring an additional 541 shares during the last quarter. Paloma Partners Management Co purchased a new position in shares of Sensient Technologies during the 3rd quarter worth about $210,000. Finally, Olympiad Research LP purchased a new position in shares of Sensient Technologies during the 3rd quarter worth about $249,000. Institutional investors own 90.86% of the company’s stock.

Sensient Technologies Price Performance

Shares of SXT stock opened at $70.28 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $72.95 and a 200 day moving average price of $75.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.90 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 3.55. Sensient Technologies Co. has a 52-week low of $64.11 and a 52-week high of $82.99.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last released its earnings results on Friday, February 14th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $376.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $375.10 million. Sensient Technologies had a return on equity of 11.93% and a net margin of 8.01%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.51 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 4th will be paid a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 4th. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.33%. Sensient Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 55.78%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com lowered shares of Sensient Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday.

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.