Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) Shares Bought by Voya Investment Management LLC

Voya Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT - Free Report) by 24.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 17,255 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after buying an additional 3,384 shares during the period. Voya Investment Management LLC's holdings in Sensient Technologies were worth $1,230,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 18,766.7% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 566 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 563 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Sensient Technologies during the fourth quarter worth $65,000. Covestor Ltd increased its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 49.4% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 920 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 304 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 152.4% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $80,000 after buying an additional 678 shares during the last quarter. 90.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Sensient Technologies Stock Up 0.4%

SXT stock traded up $0.39 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $95.72. The company's stock had a trading volume of 309,753 shares, compared to its average volume of 217,147. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 3.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. Sensient Technologies Co. has a 52-week low of $66.15 and a 52-week high of $96.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.56 and a beta of 0.58. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $78.21 and a 200-day simple moving average of $75.93.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.82 by $0.04. Sensient Technologies had a net margin of 8.01% and a return on equity of 11.93%. The business had revenue of $392.33 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $387.70 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.73 EPS. The company's revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 3.1 EPS for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, May 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 12th. Sensient Technologies's dividend payout ratio is currently 54.30%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on SXT shares. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Sensient Technologies from $85.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, April 28th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Sensient Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research 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.