Trillium Asset Management LLC Sells 3,798 Shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT)

Trillium Asset Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT - Free Report) by 4.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 74,638 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after selling 3,798 shares during the period. Trillium Asset Management LLC owned 0.18% of Sensient Technologies worth $5,318,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in SXT. Wealthfront Advisers LLC bought a new position in Sensient Technologies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $7,270,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Sensient Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $6,483,000. State Street Corp grew its stake in Sensient Technologies by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,694,114 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $135,902,000 after buying an additional 60,622 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in Sensient Technologies by 309.3% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 77,260 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $6,197,000 after purchasing an additional 58,386 shares during the period. Finally, Robeco Schweiz AG increased its holdings in Sensient Technologies by 34.9% during the 4th quarter. Robeco Schweiz AG now owns 158,329 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $11,283,000 after acquiring an additional 40,989 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 90.86% of the company's stock.

Sensient Technologies Stock Up 0.8 %

Sensient Technologies stock traded up $0.61 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $73.39. The stock had a trading volume of 317,050 shares, compared to its average volume of 169,820. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $73.10 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $75.16. The company has a market capitalization of $3.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.96 and a beta of 0.71. Sensient Technologies Co. has a one year low of $66.15 and a one year high of $82.99. 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 (NYSE:SXT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, February 14th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.65 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $376.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $375.10 million. Sensient Technologies had a return on equity of 11.93% and a net margin of 8.01%. Sensient Technologies's revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.51 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 3.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sensient Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 4th were issued a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 4th. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.23%. Sensient Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 55.78%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Sensient Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday.

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.