AlphaQuest LLC Has $1.07 Million Stock Holdings in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT)

AlphaQuest LLC lessened its holdings in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) by 22.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 14,974 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 4,343 shares during the quarter. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in Sensient Technologies were worth $1,067,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Amundi boosted its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 187.3% in the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 21,983 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,550,000 after purchasing an additional 14,331 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 136.9% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 4,245 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $302,000 after purchasing an additional 2,453 shares in the last quarter. Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at $1,444,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at $6,483,000. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at $1,143,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.86% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Sensient Technologies Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE:SXT opened at $73.33 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $3.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.94 and a beta of 0.71. 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 12-month low of $66.14 and a 12-month high of $82.99. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $72.49 and a 200 day simple moving average of $75.34.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 14th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.01. Sensient Technologies had a return on equity of 11.93% and a net margin of 8.01%. The firm had revenue of $376.40 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $375.10 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.51 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 4th were given a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.24%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 4th. Sensient Technologies’s payout ratio is 55.78%.

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.