Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) Upgraded at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Friday.

Sensient Technologies Trading Up 0.9 %

NYSE SXT opened at $73.23 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $72.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $75.27. Sensient Technologies has a 12 month low of $66.15 and a 12 month high of $82.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 3.55 and a quick ratio of 1.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.91 and a beta of 0.71.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last posted 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. The company had revenue of $376.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $375.10 million. Sensient Technologies had a net margin of 8.01% and a return on equity of 11.93%. Sensient Technologies’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.51 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Sensient Technologies will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 4th were paid a dividend of $0.41 per share. 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 2.24%. Sensient Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 55.78%.

Institutional Trading of Sensient Technologies

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Sensient Technologies during the fourth quarter worth about $1,646,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 19.1% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 98,371 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $7,010,000 after buying an additional 15,745 shares during the period. iSAM Funds UK Ltd increased its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 63.5% during the fourth quarter. iSAM Funds UK Ltd now owns 5,484 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $391,000 after buying an additional 2,129 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP increased its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 27.4% during the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 40,200 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $2,865,000 after buying an additional 8,646 shares during the period. Finally, State of Wyoming increased its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 52.9% during the fourth quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 1,913 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $136,000 after buying an additional 662 shares during the period. 90.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.