Poplar Forest Capital LLC Cuts Stock Holdings in Sensata Technologies Holding N.V. (NYSE:ST)

Poplar Forest Capital LLC reduced its position in shares of Sensata Technologies Holding N.V. (NYSE:ST - Free Report) by 2.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 442,173 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 10,237 shares during the period. Sensata Technologies makes up approximately 1.9% of Poplar Forest Capital LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position. Poplar Forest Capital LLC owned about 0.30% of Sensata Technologies worth $10,732,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Sensata Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,639,000. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its position in Sensata Technologies by 9.4% during the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 15,627 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $428,000 after acquiring an additional 1,349 shares during the last quarter. Xponance Inc. boosted its position in Sensata Technologies by 15.6% during the fourth quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 20,421 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $560,000 after acquiring an additional 2,755 shares during the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Sensata Technologies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $243,000. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in Sensata Technologies by 19.0% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,189,095 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $32,581,000 after acquiring an additional 189,560 shares during the last quarter. 99.42% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Sensata Technologies Stock Performance

ST stock opened at $32.11 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $28.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of $26.57. The company has a quick ratio of 1.81, a current ratio of 2.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. Sensata Technologies Holding N.V. has a 12 month low of $17.32 and a 12 month high of $39.64. The company has a market capitalization of $4.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.13.

Sensata Technologies (NYSE:ST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.78 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.06. Sensata Technologies had a net margin of 3.19% and a return on equity of 17.12%. The firm had revenue of $911.26 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $878.39 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.89 EPS. The business's revenue was down 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Sensata Technologies Holding N.V. will post 3.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sensata Technologies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 27th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.49%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 13th. Sensata Technologies's dividend payout ratio is currently 59.26%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Andrew C. Teich acquired 9,925 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $25.19 per share, with a total value of $250,010.75. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 41,117 shares in the company, valued at $1,035,737.23. The trade was a 31.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.89% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on ST shares. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Sensata Technologies from $27.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Sensata Technologies from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Sensata Technologies from $26.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 1st. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on shares of Sensata Technologies from $24.00 to $23.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Sensata Technologies from $23.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $35.50.

Sensata Technologies Company Profile

Sensata Technologies Holding plc develops, manufactures, and sells sensors and sensor-rich solutions, electrical protection components and systems, and other products used in mission-critical systems and applications in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments, Performance Sensing and Sensing Solutions.

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