Trillium Asset Management LLC Lowers Stake in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT)

Trillium Asset Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) by 4.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 74,638 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 3,798 shares during the quarter. Trillium Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Sensient Technologies were worth $5,318,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sensient Technologies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its stake in Sensient Technologies by 18,766.7% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 566 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 563 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Sensient Technologies in the fourth quarter worth $65,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 152.4% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $80,000 after purchasing an additional 678 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 77.3% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,787 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $127,000 after purchasing an additional 779 shares during the last quarter. 90.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Sensient Technologies Stock Performance

SXT opened at $73.83 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $3.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.11 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. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $72.92 and its 200-day moving average price is $75.21. Sensient Technologies Co. has a 52-week low of $66.15 and a 52-week high of $82.99.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last released its earnings results 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. The company had revenue of $376.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $375.10 million. Sensient Technologies had a net margin of 8.01% and a return on equity of 11.93%. Sensient Technologies’s revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.51 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 3.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 4th were paid a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 4th. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.22%. Sensient Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 55.78%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Sensient Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 14th.

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.