Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

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

Sensient Technologies Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of Sensient Technologies stock opened at $73.23 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $72.70 and a 200 day moving average price of $75.28. The company has a market cap of $3.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.91 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a current ratio of 3.55, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. Sensient Technologies has a 1 year low of $66.15 and a 1 year high of $82.99.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 14th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.01. The firm 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.51 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Sensient Technologies will post 3.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 4th were paid a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.24%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 4th. Sensient Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 55.78%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sensient Technologies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake 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 worth $8,017,000 after purchasing an additional 18,235 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake 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 worth $47,342,000 after purchasing an additional 7,235 shares in the last quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies during the 3rd quarter worth about $635,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 215,895 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $15,385,000 after purchasing an additional 6,984 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. raised its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 34.3% during the 4th quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 24,449 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $1,742,000 after purchasing an additional 6,247 shares in the last quarter. 90.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Sensient Technologies

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.