Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) Shares Purchased by Gotham Asset Management LLC

Gotham Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT - Free Report) by 84.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 14,077 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after purchasing an additional 6,450 shares during the period. Gotham Asset Management LLC's holdings in Sensient Technologies were worth $1,003,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Freemont Capital Pte Ltd bought a new position in shares of Sensient Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $449,288,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Sensient Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $45,757,000. Marshall Wace LLP bought a new stake in Sensient Technologies in the fourth quarter worth about $24,490,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Sensient Technologies in the fourth quarter worth about $7,270,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in Sensient Technologies by 100.9% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 200,726 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $14,304,000 after purchasing an additional 100,788 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.86% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on SXT shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Sensient Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 22nd. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Sensient Technologies from $85.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, April 28th.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Mario Ferruzzi sold 1,668 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.45, for a total value of $159,210.60. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 7,946 shares of the company's stock, valued at $758,445.70. This represents a 17.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.20% of the company's stock.

Sensient Technologies Price Performance

NYSE SXT traded up $0.10 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $93.91. 193,866 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 221,745. Sensient Technologies Co. has a 52-week low of $66.15 and a 52-week high of $98.27. The company has a market capitalization of $3.99 billion, a PE ratio of 31.94 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 3.55 and a quick ratio of 1.34. The firm's 50-day moving average is $82.43 and its 200-day moving average is $77.12.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.82 by $0.04. Sensient Technologies had a net margin of 8.01% and a return on equity of 11.93%. The company had revenue of $392.33 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $387.70 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.73 EPS. Sensient Technologies's revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 3.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th will be paid a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 12th. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.75%. Sensient Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 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.