Gotham Asset Management LLC Purchases 6,450 Shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT)

Gotham Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) by 84.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 14,077 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,450 shares during the quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Sensient Technologies were worth $1,003,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its position in Sensient Technologies by 18,766.7% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 566 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 563 shares during the period. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Sensient Technologies in the 4th quarter worth about $50,000. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in Sensient Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $65,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd boosted its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 49.4% in the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 920 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $66,000 after purchasing an additional 304 shares during the period. 90.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Sensient Technologies Trading Down 0.1%

SXT opened at $94.41 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.11 and a beta of 0.58. 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 twelve month low of $66.15 and a twelve month high of $98.27. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $80.32 and a 200 day simple moving average of $76.49.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.82 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $392.33 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $387.70 million. Sensient Technologies had a net margin of 8.01% and a return on equity of 11.93%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.73 EPS. Analysts predict that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 3.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sensient Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th will be paid a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 12th. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.74%. Sensient Technologies’s payout ratio is 54.30%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

SXT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Sensient Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 22nd. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Sensient Technologies from $85.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, April 28th.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Mario Ferruzzi sold 1,668 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.45, for a total value of $159,210.60. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 7,946 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $758,445.70. This trade represents a 17.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.20% 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.