Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) Price Target Raised to $80.00

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) had its target price hoisted by Robert W. Baird from $70.00 to $80.00 in a research note released on Monday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the specialty chemicals company’s stock.

Sensient Technologies Stock Performance

Sensient Technologies stock opened at $73.64 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $3.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.27 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a current ratio of 4.31, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $68.43 and a 200-day moving average of $63.71. Sensient Technologies has a 52 week low of $52.90 and a 52 week high of $78.70.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last released its earnings results on Friday, February 9th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.55 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $349.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $371.10 million. Sensient Technologies had a net margin of 6.16% and a return on equity of 11.40%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.64 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Sensient Technologies will post 2.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.23%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 3rd. Sensient Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 76.28%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Steven B. Morris sold 400 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.97, for a total transaction of $29,188.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 4,082 shares in the company, valued at approximately $297,863.54. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sensient Technologies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $555,000. Robeco Schweiz AG raised its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 8.2% during the 1st quarter. Robeco Schweiz AG now owns 100,490 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $6,953,000 after acquiring an additional 7,650 shares in the last quarter. Brown Financial Advisory raised its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 25.8% during the 1st quarter. Brown Financial Advisory now owns 12,792 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $885,000 after acquiring an additional 2,627 shares in the last quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board acquired a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $609,000. Finally, Diversified Trust Co raised its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 18.8% during the 1st quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 11,389 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $788,000 after acquiring an additional 1,800 shares in the last quarter. 90.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.