Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) Shares Sold by Handelsbanken Fonder AB

Handelsbanken Fonder AB reduced its stake in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT - Free Report) by 89.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 12,137 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after selling 104,027 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB's holdings in Sensient Technologies were worth $801,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of SXT. Covestor Ltd boosted its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 32.2% in the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,087 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the period. BRYN MAWR TRUST Co boosted its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 0.5% in the third quarter. BRYN MAWR TRUST Co now owns 60,126 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $3,516,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares during the period. Yousif Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 1.3% during the third quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 20,942 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $1,225,000 after acquiring an additional 274 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 30.5% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,558 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $103,000 after acquiring an additional 364 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Milestone Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Sensient Technologies in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.86% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Sensient Technologies from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday.

Sensient Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE SXT traded up $0.56 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $73.24. 229,164 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 220,145. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $68.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $63.57. Sensient Technologies Co. has a 1-year low of $52.90 and a 1-year high of $78.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.71, a current ratio of 4.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The firm has a market cap of $3.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.06 and a beta of 0.79.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 9th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.55 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $349.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $371.10 million. Sensient Technologies had a return on equity of 11.40% and a net margin of 6.16%. The company's revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.64 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 2.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sensient Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 6th will be issued a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 3rd. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.24%. Sensient Technologies's dividend payout ratio is currently 76.28%.

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.