The business behind the dividend
| Measure | SXT | Median | Formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on equity | 11.3% | 10.6% | Net income ÷ shareholders’ equity |
| Return on capital employed | 10.9% | 10.0% | Operating income ÷ (equity + total debt) |
| Owner earnings | $106.18m | $120.90m | Net income + depreciation & amortisation − capital expenditure |
| Free cash flow | $38.42m | $155.08m | Operating cash flow − capital expenditure |
| Operating margin | 12.8% | 14.3% | Operating income ÷ revenue |
| Net margin | 8.3% | 10.1% | Net income ÷ revenue |
| Debt to equity | 0.59x | 0.73x | Total debt ÷ shareholders’ equity |
| Interest cover | 7.00x | 4.22x | Operating income ÷ interest expense |
| Current ratio | 4.10x | 1.55x | Current assets ÷ current liabilities |
| Long-term debt to working capital | 0.87x | 1.88x | Long-term debt ÷ (current assets − current liabilities) |
| Cash conversion | 0.95x | 1.66x | Operating cash flow ÷ net income |
| Accruals | 0.3% | -3.1% | (Net income − operating cash flow) ÷ total assets |
Ten years of it
The same measures, for every year the filings support. One year is a fact; a row is a business.
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return on equity | 11.3% | 11.8% | 8.9% | 14.1% | 12.7% | 11.7% | 9.3% | 18.3% | 10.5% | 15.1% | 11.7% |
| Return on capital employed | 10.9% | 11.4% | 9.1% | 12.1% | 11.8% | 10.4% | 8.2% | 13.1% | 11.5% | 13.1% | 11.4% |
| Operating margin | 12.8% | 12.3% | 10.6% | 13.7% | 12.3% | 11.5% | 9.2% | 14.7% | 12.3% | 13.4% | 12.3% |
| Net margin | 8.3% | 8.0% | 6.4% | 9.8% | 8.6% | 8.2% | 6.2% | 11.3% | 6.6% | 9.1% | 8.2% |
| Debt to equity | 0.59x | 0.58x | 0.61x | 0.63x | 0.54x | 0.56x | 0.68x | 0.80x | 0.71x | 0.70x | 0.61x |
| Current ratio | 4.10x | 3.55x | 3.96x | 3.43x | 3.19x | 3.43x | 3.91x | 3.83x | 3.39x | 3.36x | 3.43x |
| Cash conversion | 0.95x | 1.26x | 1.82x | 0.09x | 1.22x | 2.00x | 2.16x | 0.53x | 0.41x | 1.45x | 1.22x |
How it compares in materials
Among the 79 materials companies here measured on free cash flow, Sensient Technologies pays out less than 4 of them. The median for that group is 34.3%, against this company’s 181.2%.
Closest on free cash flow
- Huntsman (HUN) 125.9%
- Chemours (CC) 152.9%
- International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) 159.8%
- Sylvamo (SLVM) 165.9%
Same sector and same denominator, so the figures are comparable. All 107 in materials →