Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) Holdings Raised by PNC Financial Services Group Inc.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) by 136.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,245 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,453 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in Sensient Technologies were worth $302,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of SXT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 22.3% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 99,938 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $8,017,000 after acquiring an additional 18,235 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 590,149 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $47,342,000 after acquiring an additional 7,235 shares during the last quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Sensient Technologies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $635,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 215,895 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $15,385,000 after buying an additional 6,984 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. grew its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 34.3% in the 4th quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 24,449 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,742,000 after buying an additional 6,247 shares during the last quarter. 90.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Sensient Technologies Stock Performance

SXT opened at $72.75 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.74 and a beta of 0.71. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $73.10 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $75.17. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 3.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. Sensient Technologies Co. has a 12-month low of $66.15 and a 12-month 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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $376.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $375.10 million. Sensient Technologies had a return on equity of 11.93% and a net margin of 8.01%. The company’s revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.51 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 4th were given a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 4th. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.25%. Sensient Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 55.78%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com lowered Sensient Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday.

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.