Nisa Investment Advisors LLC Decreases Stock Holdings in Sensient Technologies Corporation (NYSE:SXT)

Nisa Investment Advisors LLC cut its stake in Sensient Technologies Corporation (NYSE:SXT) by 44.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 744 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 587 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Sensient Technologies were worth $55,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Freemont Capital Pte Ltd acquired a new position in Sensient Technologies during the fourth quarter worth $449,288,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,064,724 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $360,912,000 after acquiring an additional 36,406 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 2,257,033 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $160,836,000 after acquiring an additional 25,230 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,223,728 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $87,203,000 after purchasing an additional 26,119 shares during the period. Finally, Congress Asset Management Co. acquired a new stake in Sensient Technologies during the first quarter worth about $49,984,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.86% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on SXT. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Sensient Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 22nd. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Sensient Technologies from $93.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 3rd. Finally, CJS Securities initiated coverage on Sensient Technologies in a research report on Tuesday, June 10th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $95.00 price objective for the company.

Insider Activity at Sensient Technologies

In related news, Director Mario Ferruzzi sold 1,668 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.45, for a total transaction of $159,210.60. Following the transaction, the director owned 7,946 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $758,445.70. This represents a 17.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Sensient Technologies Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of SXT opened at $109.01 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $98.94 and its 200 day moving average price is $83.60. Sensient Technologies Corporation has a 12-month low of $66.15 and a 12-month high of $110.70. The company has a current ratio of 4.34, a quick ratio of 1.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The firm has a market cap of $4.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.10 and a beta of 0.56.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.82 by $0.04. Sensient Technologies had a net margin of 8.19% and a return on equity of 12.14%. The business had revenue of $392.33 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $387.70 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.73 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Sensient Technologies Corporation will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th were given a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 12th. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.50%. Sensient Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 54.30%.

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.