Geode Capital Management LLC Purchases 15,868 Shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT)

Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) by 1.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 961,455 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after buying an additional 15,868 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC owned approximately 2.27% of Sensient Technologies worth $77,143,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System grew its stake in Sensient Technologies by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 21,300 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,580,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in Sensient Technologies by 5.4% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 541,998 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $40,211,000 after buying an additional 27,967 shares during the period. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. increased its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 2.7% during the second quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. now owns 206,288 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $15,304,000 after buying an additional 5,400 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in Sensient Technologies in the second quarter worth about $129,000. Finally, Rothschild Investment LLC purchased a new position in Sensient Technologies in the second quarter valued at about $236,000. 90.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Sensient Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:SXT opened at $73.34 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $77.61 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $76.51. Sensient Technologies Co. has a twelve month low of $55.02 and a twelve month high of $82.99. The company has a quick ratio of 1.47, a current ratio of 3.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.11 billion, a PE ratio of 35.09 and a beta of 0.76.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.80. Sensient Technologies had a net margin of 5.80% and a return on equity of 11.41%. The business had revenue of $392.61 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $390.64 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.75 EPS. Sensient Technologies’s revenue was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 2.82 EPS for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 4th were given a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 4th. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.24%. Sensient Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 78.47%.

Insider Activity at Sensient Technologies

In other Sensient Technologies news, insider Michael C. Geraghty sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.48, for a total value of $321,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com raised Sensient Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th.

About Sensient Technologies

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.