Maryland State Retirement & Pension System Lowers Stock Position in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT)

Maryland State Retirement & Pension System trimmed its position in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) by 1.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 15,355 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 207 shares during the period. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System’s holdings in Sensient Technologies were worth $1,013,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Milestone Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Sensient Technologies during the third quarter worth $29,000. Signaturefd LLC raised its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 1,486.7% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 714 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 669 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 32.2% during the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,087 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $64,000 after buying an additional 265 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its stake in Sensient Technologies by 30.5% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,558 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $103,000 after buying an additional 364 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 30.9% during the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,222 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $130,000 after acquiring an additional 525 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.86% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Sensient Technologies from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, April 29th.

Insider Activity at Sensient Technologies

In other news, insider Steven B. Morris sold 400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.97, for a total transaction of $29,188.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 4,082 shares in the company, valued at approximately $297,863.54. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Sensient Technologies Stock Performance

NYSE SXT opened at $76.26 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $69.68 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $64.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.23 billion, a PE ratio of 35.47 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 4.31 and a quick ratio of 1.71. Sensient Technologies Co. has a 1 year low of $52.90 and a 1 year high of $78.70.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 9th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.51 earnings per share (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 the consensus estimate of $371.10 million. Sensient Technologies had a net margin of 6.16% and a return on equity of 11.40%. Sensient Technologies’s quarterly revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.64 EPS. Analysts predict that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 2.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, May 6th will be given a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.15%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 3rd. Sensient Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 76.28%.

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.