Robeco Schweiz AG Grows Position in Sensient Technologies Corporation (NYSE:SXT)

Robeco Schweiz AG boosted its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies Corporation (NYSE:SXT - Free Report) by 48.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 235,372 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after purchasing an additional 77,043 shares during the period. Robeco Schweiz AG owned approximately 0.56% of Sensient Technologies worth $17,519,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Freemont Capital Pte Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Sensient Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at $449,288,000. Congress Asset Management Co. purchased a new position in Sensient Technologies in the first quarter worth approximately $49,984,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies during the fourth quarter valued at about $45,757,000. Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new stake in Sensient Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $24,490,000. Finally, Wealthfront Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at $7,270,000. 90.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Sensient Technologies

In related news, Director Mario Ferruzzi sold 1,668 shares of the business's 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 directly owned 7,946 shares in the company, valued at approximately $758,445.70. The trade was a 17.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

SXT has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. 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 note on Thursday, July 3rd. CJS Securities assumed 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 for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Sensient Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 22nd.

Sensient Technologies Price Performance

Sensient Technologies stock traded up $0.77 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $109.40. The company's stock had a trading volume of 251,605 shares, compared to its average volume of 343,575. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.74 and a current ratio of 4.34. Sensient Technologies Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $66.14 and a fifty-two week high of $110.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.65 billion, a PE ratio of 36.23 and a beta of 0.56. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $97.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $82.45.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.82 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $392.33 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $387.70 million. Sensient Technologies had a return on equity of 12.14% and a net margin of 8.19%. Sensient Technologies's revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.73 EPS. On average, equities research 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, May 12th were paid a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 12th. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.50%. Sensient Technologies's payout ratio is currently 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.