Principal Financial Group Inc. Has $14.50 Million Position in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT)

Principal Financial Group Inc. cut its stake in Sensient Technologies Co. (NYSE:SXT) by 2.7% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 219,743 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 6,009 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Sensient Technologies were worth $14,503,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Winder Pte. Ltd. bought a new position in Sensient Technologies in the third quarter valued at approximately $368,711,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 9.4% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,325,028 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $311,408,000 after purchasing an additional 457,446 shares during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 21.9% in the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,688,101 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $111,617,000 after purchasing an additional 303,612 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Sensient Technologies by 12.5% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,161,451 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $76,657,000 after buying an additional 129,386 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Sensient Technologies by 6.2% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 545,922 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $36,031,000 after buying an additional 32,006 shares during the last quarter. 90.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on Sensient Technologies from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 29th.

Sensient Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:SXT opened at $75.44 on Friday. Sensient Technologies Co. has a one year low of $52.90 and a one year high of $78.70. 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 cap of $3.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.09 and a beta of 0.76. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $71.34 and a 200 day simple moving average of $65.97.

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

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.17%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 3rd. Sensient Technologies’s payout ratio is 76.28%.

Insider Transactions at Sensient Technologies

In related news, insider Steven B. Morris sold 400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 4,082 shares in the company, valued at approximately $297,863.54. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, Director Essie Whitelaw sold 600 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.84, for a total value of $45,504.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 21,826 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,655,283.84. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Steven B. Morris sold 400 shares of the firm’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 transaction, the insider now directly owns 4,082 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $297,863.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 2,037 shares of company stock worth $153,245. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

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.