Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) Shares Bought by Eagle Asset Management Inc.

Eagle Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 86,390 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,909 shares during the quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. owned approximately 0.20% of Sensient Technologies worth $6,874,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Quarry LP bought a new position in Sensient Technologies during the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. nVerses Capital LLC acquired a new position in Sensient Technologies in the third quarter worth about $72,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in Sensient Technologies in the second quarter worth about $129,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 2,753.7% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,912 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $142,000 after buying an additional 1,845 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC acquired a new stake in Sensient Technologies during the first quarter valued at approximately $208,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.86% of the company’s stock.

Sensient Technologies Stock Performance

SXT stock opened at $78.67 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.64 and a beta of 0.76. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $77.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $76.31. Sensient Technologies Co. has a 1 year low of $55.02 and a 1 year high of $82.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a current ratio of 3.74.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.80. The company had revenue of $392.61 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $390.64 million. Sensient Technologies had a return on equity of 11.41% and a net margin of 5.80%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.75 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 2.82 EPS for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, November 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 4th. Sensient Technologies’s payout ratio is currently 78.47%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SXT has been the topic of several research reports. StockNews.com raised Sensient Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of Sensient Technologies from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, July 29th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Michael C. Geraghty sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.48, for a total transaction of $321,920.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 36,518 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,938,968.64. This trade represents a 9.87 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 1.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.