Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) Shares Sold by CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co

CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co cut its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT - Free Report) by 6.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 43,912 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after selling 3,062 shares during the quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co owned approximately 0.10% of Sensient Technologies worth $3,129,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in SXT. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 4.8% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 3,462 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $270,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 4,408 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $314,000 after purchasing an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. Versor Investments LP lifted its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 4,521 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $322,000 after purchasing an additional 221 shares during the last quarter. Xponance Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 9.5% in the 4th quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 3,017 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $215,000 after purchasing an additional 261 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 49.4% in the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 920 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 304 shares during the last quarter. 90.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on SXT shares. StockNews.com downgraded Sensient Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 22nd. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on Sensient Technologies from $85.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday.

Sensient Technologies Stock Performance

Sensient Technologies stock traded up $4.42 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $94.49. 839,807 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 208,693. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $73.70 and a 200 day moving average price of $74.89. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 3.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The company has a market cap of $4.01 billion, a PE ratio of 32.14 and a beta of 0.63. Sensient Technologies Co. has a one year low of $66.15 and a one year high of $94.70.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.82 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $392.33 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $387.70 million. Sensient Technologies had a return on equity of 11.93% and a net margin of 8.01%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.73 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 3.1 EPS for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 12th. Sensient Technologies's payout ratio is currently 54.30%.

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.