Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) Coverage Initiated at CJS Securities

CJS Securities started coverage on shares of Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) in a research note issued on Tuesday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm set a “market perform” rating and a $95.00 price target on the specialty chemicals company’s stock. CJS Securities’ target price suggests a potential downside of 0.10% from the stock’s previous close.

SXT has been the subject of several other research reports. 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 note on Monday, April 28th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Sensient Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 22nd.

Sensient Technologies Stock Down 1.4%

SXT stock opened at $95.09 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 3.55 and a quick ratio of 1.34. Sensient Technologies has a 52-week low of $66.15 and a 52-week high of $98.27. The company has a 50-day moving average of $87.91 and a two-hundred day moving average of $78.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.34 and a beta of 0.56.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) 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 company had revenue of $392.33 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $387.70 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.73 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Sensient Technologies will post 3.1 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Sensient Technologies news, Director Mario Ferruzzi sold 1,668 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.45, for a total transaction of $159,210.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 7,946 shares in the company, valued at $758,445.70. This trade represents a 17.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 1.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new position in Sensient Technologies during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 132.6% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 435 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 248 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its holdings 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 buying an additional 563 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $50,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its holdings 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 buying an additional 304 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.86% of the company’s stock.

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.