Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) to Issue $0.41 Quarterly Dividend

Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, July 25th, Wall Street Journal reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 5th will be paid a dividend of 0.41 per share by the specialty chemicals company on Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 5th.

Sensient Technologies has increased its dividend by an average of 1.7% annually over the last three years. Sensient Technologies has a payout ratio of 47.8% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings.

Sensient Technologies Trading Down 4.9 %

Shares of Sensient Technologies stock traded down $3.94 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $76.64. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 303,946 shares, compared to its average volume of 197,961. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 4.31 and a quick ratio of 1.71. The company has a market capitalization of $3.25 billion, a PE ratio of 37.48 and a beta of 0.76. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $76.27 and a 200 day moving average of $70.41. Sensient Technologies has a 12 month low of $52.90 and a 12 month high of $82.99.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last released its earnings results on Friday, April 26th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.79 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $384.67 million during the quarter. Sensient Technologies had a net margin of 6.16% and a return on equity of 11.40%. Analysts predict that Sensient Technologies will post 2.85 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Sensient Technologies news, insider Steven B. Morris sold 400 shares of Sensient Technologies stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.97, for a total transaction of $29,188.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 4,082 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $297,863.54. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Sensient Technologies news, insider Steven B. Morris sold 400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.97, for a total value of $29,188.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 4,082 shares in the company, valued at $297,863.54. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Essie Whitelaw sold 1,037 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.75, for a total transaction of $78,552.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 20,789 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,574,766.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 2,037 shares of company stock worth $153,245. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SXT has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on Sensient Technologies from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 29th. StockNews.com cut Sensient Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday.

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.