Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) Insider Steven B. Morris Sells 400 Shares

Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) insider Steven B. Morris sold 400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 owns 4,082 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $297,863.54. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Sensient Technologies Stock Up 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE:SXT opened at $73.64 on Thursday. 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 52-week low of $52.90 and a 52-week high of $78.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.25 and a beta of 0.76. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $68.43 and a 200-day moving average price of $63.71.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 9th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.55 by ($0.04). Sensient Technologies had a return on equity of 11.40% and a net margin of 6.16%. The firm had revenue of $349.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $371.10 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.64 EPS. Sensient Technologies’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 2.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sensient Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, May 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.23%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 3rd. Sensient Technologies’s payout ratio is currently 76.28%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Sensient Technologies from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sensient Technologies

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of SXT. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $596,000. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. boosted its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 21.7% in the third quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 5,674 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $332,000 after acquiring an additional 1,011 shares in the last quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System purchased a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies in the third quarter worth $910,000. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 31.3% during the third quarter. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC now owns 180,000 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $10,526,000 after acquiring an additional 42,900 shares in the last quarter. Finally, New York State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 62,088 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $3,631,000 after purchasing an additional 3,188 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.86% of the company’s stock.

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.