Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) Shares Pass Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Here’s What Happened

Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT)’s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $75.95 and traded as high as $76.40. Sensient Technologies shares last traded at $76.02, with a volume of 96,724 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Sensient Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th.

Sensient Technologies Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $3.22 billion, a PE ratio of 36.37 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a current ratio of 3.74. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $74.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $75.96.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.80. The company had revenue of $392.61 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $390.64 million. Sensient Technologies had a return on equity of 11.41% and a net margin of 5.80%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.75 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 2.82 EPS for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.16%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 4th. Sensient Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 78.47%.

Insider Activity at Sensient Technologies

In other news, insider Michael C. Geraghty sold 4,000 shares of Sensient Technologies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.48, for a total value of $321,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 36,518 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,938,968.64. The trade was a 9.87 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sensient Technologies

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. nVerses Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Sensient Technologies in the third quarter worth $72,000. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in Sensient Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at $65,000. KBC Group NV boosted its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 77.3% during 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 period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 2,753.7% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,912 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $142,000 after acquiring an additional 1,845 shares during the period. 90.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.