Heartland Advisors Inc. Sells 20,231 Shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT)

Heartland Advisors Inc. reduced its position in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT - Free Report) by 19.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 85,734 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after selling 20,231 shares during the period. Heartland Advisors Inc. owned about 0.20% of Sensient Technologies worth $6,109,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of SXT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in Sensient Technologies by 22.3% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 99,938 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $8,017,000 after acquiring an additional 18,235 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 590,149 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $47,342,000 after buying an additional 7,235 shares during the period. Verition Fund Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies during the 3rd quarter worth about $635,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 215,895 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $15,385,000 after acquiring an additional 6,984 shares during the period. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lifted its position in Sensient Technologies by 34.3% during the fourth quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 24,449 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $1,742,000 after acquiring an additional 6,247 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.86% of the company's stock.

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Sensient Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SXT traded up $0.94 on Monday, reaching $74.54. 362,866 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 184,723. 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 twelve month low of $66.15 and a twelve month high of $82.99. The company has a fifty day moving average of $73.31 and a 200-day moving average of $75.13. The company has a market capitalization of $3.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.35 and a beta of 0.71.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 14th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.65 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $376.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $375.10 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.51 EPS. Sensient Technologies's revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 3.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.20%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 4th. Sensient Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 55.78%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Sensient Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 22nd.

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.