Jane Street Group LLC Cuts Position in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT)

Jane Street Group LLC reduced its position in shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT - Free Report) by 53.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 24,803 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after selling 28,504 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC owned 0.06% of Sensient Technologies worth $1,767,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Sensient Technologies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $539,000. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in Sensient Technologies by 10.2% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 569,652 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $40,593,000 after purchasing an additional 52,654 shares in the last quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL lifted its stake in Sensient Technologies by 22.0% in the 4th quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 4,612 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $329,000 after purchasing an additional 833 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP purchased a new position in Sensient Technologies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $50,000. Finally, Snyder Capital Management L P lifted its stake in Sensient Technologies by 7.8% in the 4th quarter. Snyder Capital Management L P now owns 667,175 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $47,543,000 after purchasing an additional 48,146 shares in the last quarter. 90.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on SXT shares. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Sensient Technologies from $85.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, April 28th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Sensient Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 22nd.

Sensient Technologies Trading Up 0.4%

SXT traded up $0.35 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $94.80. The company's stock had a trading volume of 204,280 shares, compared to its average volume of 221,261. Sensient Technologies Co. has a fifty-two week low of $66.15 and a fifty-two week high of $98.27. The stock has a market cap of $4.03 billion, a PE ratio of 32.24 and a beta of 0.58. The business's 50-day moving average is $81.19 and its 200-day moving average is $76.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 3.55 and a quick ratio of 1.34.

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

Sensient Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, May 12th will be issued a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.73%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 12th. Sensient Technologies's dividend payout ratio is presently 54.30%.

Insider Activity at Sensient Technologies

In other Sensient Technologies news, Director Mario Ferruzzi sold 1,668 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.45, for a total value of $159,210.60. Following the sale, the director now owns 7,946 shares of the company's stock, valued at $758,445.70. The trade was a 17.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.