Wealthfront Advisers LLC Takes $7.27 Million Position in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT)

Wealthfront Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 102,021 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,270,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC owned about 0.24% of Sensient Technologies as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in SXT. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new position in Sensient Technologies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its position 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 worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 563 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in Sensient Technologies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $65,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in Sensient Technologies by 152.4% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $80,000 after acquiring an additional 678 shares during the period. Finally, KBC Group NV raised its position in Sensient Technologies by 77.3% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,787 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $127,000 after acquiring an additional 779 shares during the period. 90.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Sensient Technologies Stock Down 1.5 %

SXT opened at $72.93 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 3.55, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. Sensient Technologies Co. has a 1-year low of $66.14 and a 1-year high of $82.99. The company has a market capitalization of $3.09 billion, a PE ratio of 24.81 and a beta of 0.71. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $72.58 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $75.31.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 14th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.65 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.01. The firm 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%. The company’s revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.51 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 3.1 EPS for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 4th were given a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 4th. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.25%. Sensient Technologies’s payout ratio is 55.78%.

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.