Amundi Purchases 14,331 Shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT)

Amundi boosted its position in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) by 187.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 21,983 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,331 shares during the period. Amundi owned 0.05% of Sensient Technologies worth $1,550,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new position in Sensient Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 18,766.7% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 566 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 563 shares during the last quarter. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in Sensient Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at about $65,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 152.4% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $80,000 after acquiring an additional 678 shares during the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV boosted its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 77.3% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,787 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $127,000 after acquiring an additional 779 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.86% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Sensient Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday.

Sensient Technologies Price Performance

Shares of SXT opened at $73.02 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 3.55, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. Sensient Technologies Co. has a 1 year low of $66.15 and a 1 year high of $82.99. The stock has a market cap of $3.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.84 and a beta of 0.71. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $72.76 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $75.25.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last issued its earnings results on Friday, February 14th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.01. Sensient Technologies had a return on equity of 11.93% and a net margin of 8.01%. The firm had revenue of $376.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $375.10 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.51 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 4th were given a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.25%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 4th. Sensient Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 55.78%.

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.