StockNews.com Downgrades Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) to Hold

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Tuesday morning.

Sensient Technologies Stock Down 1.3 %

Shares of SXT stock opened at $68.56 on Tuesday. Sensient Technologies has a twelve month low of $64.11 and a twelve month high of $82.99. The stock has a market cap of $2.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.32 and a beta of 0.77. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $72.77 and a 200 day moving average of $75.40. 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 (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 firm had revenue of $376.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $375.10 million. Sensient Technologies had a return on equity of 11.93% and a net margin of 8.01%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.51 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Sensient Technologies will post 3.1 EPS for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 4th. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.39%. Sensient Technologies’s payout ratio is currently 55.78%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sensient Technologies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SXT. Creative Planning grew its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 15.9% in the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 22,491 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,804,000 after buying an additional 3,081 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE increased its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 6.1% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 6,355 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $510,000 after purchasing an additional 366 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Sensient Technologies by 10.6% in the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 13,036 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,046,000 after buying an additional 1,253 shares during the last quarter. Olympiad Research LP purchased a new position in Sensient Technologies during the third quarter worth about $249,000. Finally, State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D increased its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 5.3% during the third quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 26,377 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $2,116,000 after acquiring an additional 1,332 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.