Robert W. Baird Increases Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) Price Target to $80.00

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) had its target price raised by Robert W. Baird from $70.00 to $80.00 in a research note released on Monday, Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the specialty chemicals company’s stock.

Sensient Technologies Stock Up 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE SXT opened at $73.64 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a current ratio of 4.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.27 and a beta of 0.79. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $68.43 and a 200 day moving average price of $63.71. Sensient Technologies has a 52-week low of $52.90 and a 52-week high of $78.70.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last posted its earnings results on Friday, February 9th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.55 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $349.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $371.10 million. Sensient Technologies had a return on equity of 11.40% and a net margin of 6.16%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.64 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Sensient Technologies will post 2.85 earnings per share for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, May 6th will be given a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 3rd. Sensient Technologies’s payout ratio is 76.28%.

Insider Activity at Sensient Technologies

In other Sensient Technologies news, insider Steven B. Morris sold 400 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.97, for a total transaction of $29,188.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 4,082 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $297,863.54. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 1.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sensient Technologies

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SXT. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Sensient Technologies in the 3rd quarter valued at about $596,000. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lifted its stake in Sensient Technologies by 21.7% in the 3rd quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 5,674 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $332,000 after buying an additional 1,011 shares in the last quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System purchased a new position in Sensient Technologies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $910,000. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Sensient Technologies by 31.3% in the 3rd quarter. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC now owns 180,000 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $10,526,000 after purchasing an additional 42,900 shares in the last quarter. Finally, New York State Teachers Retirement System lifted its stake in Sensient Technologies by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 62,088 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $3,631,000 after purchasing an additional 3,188 shares in the last quarter. 90.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.