JPMorgan Chase & Co. Purchases 100,788 Shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT)

JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT - Free Report) by 100.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 200,726 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after buying an additional 100,788 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned about 0.47% of Sensient Technologies worth $14,304,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in SXT. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 18,766.7% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 566 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 563 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Sensient Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at $65,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 152.4% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $80,000 after acquiring an additional 678 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV increased its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 77.3% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,787 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $127,000 after buying an additional 779 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.86% of the company's stock.

Sensient Technologies Price Performance

Sensient Technologies stock traded down $0.04 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $74.09. The company's stock had a trading volume of 27,108 shares, compared to its average volume of 197,458. The company has a market capitalization of $3.14 billion, a PE ratio of 25.21 and a beta of 0.63. Sensient Technologies Co. has a 12 month low of $66.15 and a 12 month high of $82.99. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 3.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $72.63 and its 200-day moving average price is $74.78.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 14th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.01. Sensient Technologies had a net margin of 8.01% and a return on equity of 11.93%. The business had revenue of $376.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $375.10 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.51 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sensient Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 4th were given a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 4th. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.21%. Sensient Technologies's payout ratio is 55.78%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com lowered Sensient Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 22nd.

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.