Versor Investments LP Grows Holdings in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT)

Versor Investments LP boosted its position in shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) by 5.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,521 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after acquiring an additional 221 shares during the period. Versor Investments LP’s holdings in Sensient Technologies were worth $322,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at $65,000. KBC Group NV increased its stake in Sensient Technologies by 77.3% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,787 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $127,000 after buying an additional 779 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 32.0% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 2,229 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $159,000 after acquiring an additional 541 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 37.0% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,619 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $187,000 after acquiring an additional 707 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Paloma Partners Management Co bought a new position in shares of Sensient Technologies in the third quarter worth about $210,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.86% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Sensient Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th.

Sensient Technologies Price Performance

SXT stock opened at $68.72 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.91 billion, a PE ratio of 23.37 and a beta of 0.77. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $72.61 and its 200-day moving average price is $75.41. Sensient Technologies Co. has a one year low of $65.83 and a one year high of $82.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 3.55.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 14th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.65 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.01. The business 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%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.51 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 3.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sensient Technologies Announces Dividend

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

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.