Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Invests $1.56 Million in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT)

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund purchased a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 23,632 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock, valued at approximately $1,560,000. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund owned about 0.06% of Sensient Technologies as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 32.2% in the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,087 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 265 shares in the last quarter. BRYN MAWR TRUST Co boosted its stake in Sensient Technologies by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. BRYN MAWR TRUST Co now owns 60,126 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $3,516,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the period. Yousif Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Sensient Technologies by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 20,942 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $1,225,000 after purchasing an additional 274 shares during the period. CWM LLC boosted its stake in Sensient Technologies by 30.5% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,558 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $103,000 after purchasing an additional 364 shares during the period. Finally, Milestone Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in Sensient Technologies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. 90.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Sensient Technologies Price Performance

SXT stock traded up $0.72 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $70.36. The company's stock had a trading volume of 271,131 shares, compared to its average volume of 258,382. Sensient Technologies Co. has a 12 month low of $52.90 and a 12 month high of $78.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 3.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.69 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a 50 day moving average of $68.12 and a two-hundred day moving average of $63.37.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 9th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.55 by ($0.04). Sensient Technologies had a return on equity of 11.52% and a net margin of 6.41%. The business had revenue of $349.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $371.10 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.64 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 2.95 EPS for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 6th will be given a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 3rd. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.33%. Sensient Technologies's dividend payout ratio is currently 73.87%.

About Sensient Technologies

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.