Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) Sees Large Decrease in Short Interest

Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 485,600 shares, a decline of 21.2% from the January 31st total of 616,000 shares. Approximately 1.2% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 196,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.5 days.

Sensient Technologies Stock Up 0.6 %

Sensient Technologies stock traded up $0.41 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $69.12. 46,064 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 210,328. Sensient Technologies has a one year low of $65.83 and a one year high of $82.99. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $72.61 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $75.41. The company has a current ratio of 3.55, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The company has a market cap of $2.93 billion, a PE ratio of 23.46 and a beta of 0.77.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last issued its quarterly 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 analysts’ expectations of $375.10 million. Sensient Technologies had a return on equity of 11.93% and a net margin of 8.01%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.51 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Sensient Technologies will post 3.1 EPS for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 4th were given a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 4th. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.37%. Sensient Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 55.78%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sensient Technologies

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Sensient Technologies by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 4,408 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $314,000 after buying an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. Versor Investments LP boosted its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 5.1% in the fourth quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 4,521 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $322,000 after acquiring an additional 221 shares in the last quarter. Xponance Inc. grew its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 9.5% in the fourth quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 3,017 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $215,000 after acquiring an additional 261 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 49.4% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 920 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $66,000 after acquiring an additional 304 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.86% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

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.