Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) Hits New 52-Week High - Should You Buy?

Shares of Sensient Technologies Corporation (NYSE:SXT - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $101.86 and last traded at $101.36, with a volume of 239744 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $98.52.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on SXT. CJS Securities initiated coverage on Sensient Technologies in a research note on Tuesday, June 10th. They issued a "market perform" rating and a $95.00 target price on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Sensient Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 22nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of Sensient Technologies from $85.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, April 28th.

Sensient Technologies Trading Up 1.0%

The company has a 50 day moving average of $94.56 and a two-hundred day moving average of $80.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.46 billion, a PE ratio of 34.79 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.74 and a current ratio of 4.34.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.82 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $392.33 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $387.70 million. Sensient Technologies had a return on equity of 12.14% and a net margin of 8.19%. The company's revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.73 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Sensient Technologies Corporation will post 3.1 EPS for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 12th were issued a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 12th. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.56%. Sensient Technologies's dividend payout ratio is currently 54.30%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Sensient Technologies

In related news, Director Mario Ferruzzi sold 1,668 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.45, for a total value of $159,210.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 7,946 shares in the company, valued at $758,445.70. This trade represents a 17.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. CWM LLC grew its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 8.6% during the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,894 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $141,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the period. Xponance Inc. boosted its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 5.0% during the first quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 3,169 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $236,000 after buying an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. grew its position in Sensient Technologies by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 4,408 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $314,000 after buying an additional 203 shares during the period. Versor Investments LP increased its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 5.1% in the fourth quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 4,521 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $322,000 after buying an additional 221 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 132.6% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 435 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 248 shares in the last quarter. 90.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.