Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) Short Interest Up 20.3% in March

Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 712,900 shares, an increase of 20.3% from the March 15th total of 592,500 shares. Currently, 1.7% of the company's stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 285,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.5 days.

Sensient Technologies Stock Up 13.6 %

SXT traded up $10.90 during trading on Friday, hitting $91.04. The company had a trading volume of 1,458,610 shares, compared to its average volume of 202,911. The company has a market cap of $3.86 billion, a PE ratio of 30.97 and a beta of 0.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 3.55 and a quick ratio of 1.34. Sensient Technologies has a 1-year low of $66.15 and a 1-year high of $91.20. The business has a 50-day moving average of $72.90 and a 200-day moving average of $74.74.

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

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, May 12th will be given a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.80%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 12th. Sensient Technologies's dividend payout ratio is currently 55.78%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sensient Technologies

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 22.3% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 99,938 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $8,017,000 after purchasing an additional 18,235 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 13.6% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 55,482 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $3,954,000 after buying an additional 6,624 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in Sensient Technologies by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 185,490 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $13,218,000 after acquiring an additional 7,148 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 215,895 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $15,385,000 after acquiring an additional 6,984 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. boosted its stake in Sensient Technologies by 34.3% in the fourth quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 24,449 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $1,742,000 after acquiring an additional 6,247 shares during the period. 90.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.