Sensient Technologies Corporation (NYSE:SXT) Shares Bought by Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 77.4% in the first quarter, owning approximately $3.05 million worth of shares.
• The company recently reported a better-than-expected earnings per share (EPS) of $0.94, exceeding analysts' estimates of $0.88.
• Sensient Technologies has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.41, with a yield of 1.5% and a payout ratio of 51.74%.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Sensient Technologies Corporation (NYSE:SXT - Free Report) by 77.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 40,983 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after acquiring an additional 17,883 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. owned 0.10% of Sensient Technologies worth $3,050,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Freemont Capital Pte Ltd purchased a new position in Sensient Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $449,288,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 2,257,033 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $160,836,000 after buying an additional 25,230 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,223,728 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $87,203,000 after buying an additional 26,119 shares in the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. purchased a new stake in Sensient Technologies in the 1st quarter worth approximately $49,984,000. Finally, Snyder Capital Management L P raised its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 7.8% during the 4th quarter. Snyder Capital Management L P now owns 667,175 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $47,543,000 after purchasing an additional 48,146 shares in the last quarter. 90.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Sensient Technologies Stock Up 0.3%

NYSE SXT traded up $0.36 on Thursday, hitting $115.37. 22,372 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 350,984. The company has a current ratio of 4.25, a quick ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $103.47 and a 200-day moving average of $87.29. Sensient Technologies Corporation has a 12 month low of $66.14 and a 12 month high of $115.58. The company has a market cap of $4.90 billion, a PE ratio of 36.38 and a beta of 0.58.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, July 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.94 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $414.23 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $417.60 million. Sensient Technologies had a net margin of 8.56% and a return on equity of 12.56%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.77 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Sensient Technologies Corporation will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 4th will be given a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 4th. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Sensient Technologies's dividend payout ratio is presently 51.74%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

SXT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. CJS Securities initiated coverage on shares of Sensient Technologies in a research report on Tuesday, June 10th. They issued a "market perform" rating and a $95.00 price target on the stock. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Sensient Technologies from $93.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 3rd.

Insider Activity at Sensient Technologies

In other news, Director Mario Ferruzzi sold 1,668 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.45, for a total transaction of $159,210.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 7,946 shares in the company, valued at approximately $758,445.70. This represents a 17.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.20% of the stock is 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.