Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) Short Interest Update

Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 620,100 shares, a growth of 18.2% from the November 30th total of 524,700 shares. Currently, 1.8% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 146,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.2 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Michael C. Geraghty sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.48, for a total value of $321,920.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 36,518 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,938,968.64. This trade represents a 9.87 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Sensient Technologies

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 22.3% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 99,938 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $8,017,000 after acquiring an additional 18,235 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 4.8% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 3,462 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $270,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its stake in Sensient Technologies by 25.9% in the 3rd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 13,364 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,072,000 after buying an additional 2,747 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 1.7% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 961,455 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $77,143,000 after purchasing an additional 15,868 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC grew its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 309.3% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 77,260 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $6,197,000 after buying an additional 58,386 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.86% of the company’s stock.

Sensient Technologies Trading Up 0.4 %

Sensient Technologies stock opened at $71.26 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a current ratio of 3.74. The stock has a market cap of $3.02 billion, a PE ratio of 34.10 and a beta of 0.76. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $76.87 and a two-hundred day moving average of $76.32. Sensient Technologies has a one year low of $55.02 and a one year high of $82.99.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last released its earnings results on Friday, October 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.80. Sensient Technologies had a net margin of 5.80% and a return on equity of 11.41%. The company had revenue of $392.61 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $390.64 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.75 EPS. Sensient Technologies’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Sensient Technologies will post 2.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sensient Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, November 4th were paid a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 4th. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.30%. Sensient Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 78.47%.

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.