Sensata Technologies (NYSE:ST) Sets New 12-Month High - Here's Why

Key Points

• 52-week high: Sensata reached a new 52-week high of $41.67 (last $40.97) on heavy volume (~2.38M shares), trading above its 50-day ($36.24) and 200-day ($34.16) moving averages with a market cap of about $5.97 billion.
• Mixed analyst outlook: Several firms recently raised price targets, but the consensus remains a "Hold" with a $40.80 target and a split of 4 Buys, 6 Holds and 1 Sell.
• Financials and dividend: Sensata slightly beat quarterly estimates (EPS $0.88 vs. $0.86; revenue $917.9M), announced a $0.12 quarterly dividend (1.2% yield), yet carries a very high P/E (~215.6) and a dividend payout ratio of ~252.6%, which may raise valuation and sustainability concerns.

Sensata Technologies Holding N.V. (NYSE:ST - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $41.67 and last traded at $40.9690, with a volume of 2383525 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $40.77.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Sensata Technologies from $37.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Sensata Technologies from $35.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Sensata Technologies from $43.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Sensata Technologies from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Sensata Technologies from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Sensata Technologies presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $40.80.

Sensata Technologies Trading Up 0.5%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.78, a current ratio of 2.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $36.24 and its 200-day moving average price is $34.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 215.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.14.

Sensata Technologies (NYSE:ST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Saturday, February 14th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.86 by $0.02. Sensata Technologies had a net margin of 0.83% and a return on equity of 17.92%. The firm had revenue of $917.88 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $911.03 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.76 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Sensata Technologies Holding N.V. will post 3.65 earnings per share for the current year.

Sensata Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 27th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 13th. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Sensata Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 252.63%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Lynne J. Caljouw sold 2,913 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.71, for a total transaction of $101,110.23. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 72,842 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,528,345.82. This trade represents a 3.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders have sold 7,889 shares of company stock worth $280,345 in the last 90 days. 0.89% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sensata Technologies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Sensata Technologies by 659.7% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 904 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 785 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its stake in Sensata Technologies by 700.0% in the fourth quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 832 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 728 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Corp acquired a new stake in Sensata Technologies in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. EFG International AG acquired a new stake in Sensata Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC boosted its stake in Sensata Technologies by 62.6% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 1,135 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 437 shares in the last quarter. 99.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Sensata Technologies Company Profile

Sensata Technologies Holdings N.V. is a global industrial technology company specializing in the design, development and manufacture of sensors and electrical protection solutions. The company's product portfolio includes pressure, temperature, position, speed, current and magnetic sensors, as well as circuit breakers and other protection devices. Sensata's offerings serve a wide array of end markets, with a particularly strong presence in automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), industrial automation, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), commercial aerospace and renewable energy sectors.

Headquartered in Attleboro, Massachusetts, Sensata operates a network of manufacturing and engineering facilities across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America.

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