Gamco Investors INC. ET AL Sells 3,865 Shares of Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT)

Gamco Investors INC. ET AL reduced its position in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) by 1.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 329,135 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 3,865 shares during the quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL’s holdings in Sensient Technologies were worth $22,773,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 30.5% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,558 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $103,000 after acquiring an additional 364 shares during the last quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 44,075.0% during the fourth quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,767 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $117,000 after acquiring an additional 1,763 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Sensient Technologies during the first quarter worth $203,000. Janney Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Sensient Technologies during the fourth quarter worth $209,000. Finally, Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Sensient Technologies during the fourth quarter worth $244,000. 90.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Steven B. Morris sold 400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.97, for a total value of $29,188.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 4,082 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $297,863.54. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, insider Steven B. Morris sold 400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.97, for a total value of $29,188.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 4,082 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $297,863.54. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Essie Whitelaw sold 600 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.84, for a total transaction of $45,504.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 21,826 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,655,283.84. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,037 shares of company stock valued at $153,245. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Sensient Technologies Price Performance

Sensient Technologies stock traded down $3.94 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $76.64. 303,946 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 171,241. The company has a market cap of $3.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.65 and a beta of 0.76. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $76.29 and a two-hundred day moving average of $70.50. The company has a quick ratio of 1.71, a current ratio of 4.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. Sensient Technologies Co. has a 12-month low of $52.90 and a 12-month high of $82.99.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 26th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $403.53 million for the quarter. Sensient Technologies had a net margin of 6.16% and a return on equity of 11.40%. Equities analysts forecast that Sensient Technologies Co. will post 2.85 earnings per share for the current year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, August 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.14%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 5th. Sensient Technologies’s payout ratio is 76.28%.

Sensient Technologies 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.