Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) Shares Bought by Franklin Resources Inc.

Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT - Free Report) by 116.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 7,477 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,015 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc.'s holdings in Sensient Technologies were worth $533,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Sensient Technologies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $45,757,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $7,270,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 100.9% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 200,726 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $14,304,000 after acquiring an additional 100,788 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Sensient Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at $6,483,000. Finally, Barclays PLC raised its position in Sensient Technologies by 309.3% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 77,260 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $6,197,000 after purchasing an additional 58,386 shares during the last quarter. 90.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Sensient Technologies Stock Up 0.6 %

SXT opened at $74.55 on Friday. Sensient Technologies Co. has a 52 week low of $66.15 and a 52 week high of $82.99. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $72.59 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $74.74. 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 $3.16 billion, a PE ratio of 25.36 and a beta of 0.63.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 14th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.65 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $376.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $375.10 million. Sensient Technologies had a net margin of 8.01% and a return on equity of 11.93%. Sensient Technologies's quarterly revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.51 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 3.1 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SXT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.