Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) Downgraded by Zacks Research to Strong Sell

Zacks Research cut shares of Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report issued on Tuesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Sensient Technologies in a report on Monday, December 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $110.00.

Sensient Technologies Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of SXT opened at $91.40 on Tuesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $95.85 and its 200 day moving average is $99.25. The company has a current ratio of 4.10, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. Sensient Technologies has a 12-month low of $67.79 and a 12-month high of $121.54. The company has a market capitalization of $3.89 billion, a PE ratio of 28.92 and a beta of 0.58.

Sensient Technologies (NYSE:SXT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 13th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.78 by ($0.06). Sensient Technologies had a net margin of 8.34% and a return on equity of 12.82%. The company had revenue of $393.45 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $395.70 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.70 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sensient Technologies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.600-3.800 EPS. Research analysts expect that Sensient Technologies will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sensient Technologies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 3rd. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. Sensient Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is 51.90%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Sensient Technologies

In related news, Director Essie Whitelaw sold 3,985 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.02, for a total transaction of $378,654.70. Following the sale, the director owned 17,128 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,627,502.56. This represents a 18.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sensient Technologies

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in SXT. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in Sensient Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at about $178,000. SummitTX Capital L.P. grew its stake in shares of Sensient Technologies by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. SummitTX Capital L.P. now owns 17,798 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,672,000 after buying an additional 660 shares during the last quarter. Potrero Capital Research LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $2,575,000. Numerai GP LLC bought a new stake in shares of Sensient Technologies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $891,000. Finally, Occudo Quantitative Strategies LP purchased a new position in Sensient Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at $201,000. Institutional investors own 90.86% of the company’s stock.

About Sensient Technologies

Sensient Technologies Corporation is a global leader in the manufacture and supply of colors, flavors and fragrances for a broad range of end-markets. The company develops and produces ingredients that enhance the appearance, taste and scent of products in the food, beverage, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, personal care and household sectors. Its portfolio includes natural and synthetic colorants, botanical and artificial flavor systems, fragrance compounds and specialty chemical offerings tailored to customer specifications.

Within its flavor and fragrance division, Sensient provides custom formulations for sweet, savory and umami taste profiles along with fragrance blends for personal care and cosmetic applications.