International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) Stock Moved Up to Hold by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded IFF from “Sell” to “Hold,” while analysts’ overall consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $94.28.
• IFF shares opened at $94.11, near their 52-week high of $94.59, but the company’s latest quarter missed expectations on both earnings and revenue.
• The company authorized a $2.5 billion share-repurchase program, allowing it to buy back up to 12.1% of outstanding shares.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report released on Sunday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Vertical Research downgraded shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $93.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. KeyCorp assumed coverage on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances in a report on Thursday, September 10th. They issued a "sector weight" rating on the stock. Citigroup dropped their price objective on International Flavors & Fragrances from $101.00 to $100.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Benchmark increased their price objective on International Flavors & Fragrances from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $84.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $94.28.

International Flavors & Fragrances Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:IFF opened at $94.11 on Friday. The company's 50-day moving average is $85.95 and its 200 day moving average is $79.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a current ratio of 2.06. The company has a market capitalization of $24.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 86.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.97 and a beta of 0.91. International Flavors & Fragrances has a fifty-two week low of $61.29 and a fifty-two week high of $94.59.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.82 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.07 by ($0.25). The company had revenue of $1.95 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.62 billion. International Flavors & Fragrances had a net margin of 2.78% and a return on equity of 7.11%. International Flavors & Fragrances's quarterly revenue was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.15 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that International Flavors & Fragrances will post 3.24 earnings per share for the current year.

International Flavors & Fragrances declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Tuesday, August 4th that allows the company to repurchase $2.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the specialty chemicals company to repurchase up to 12.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at International Flavors & Fragrances

In other news, insider De Mendonca Ana Paula Teles sold 5,718 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.19, for a total value of $475,680.42. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Marc Birenkrant sold 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.00, for a total transaction of $85,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,446 shares in the company, valued at approximately $292,910. This trade represents a 22.49% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 15,543 shares of company stock worth $1,315,659 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 1.07% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Flavors & Fragrances

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances in the 2nd quarter worth about $1,835,955,000. Nykredit A S bought a new stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances during the 2nd quarter valued at about $223,065,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances during the 2nd quarter valued at about $131,760,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances during the second quarter worth about $122,792,000. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances during the second quarter worth about $107,310,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.02% of the company's stock.

International Flavors & Fragrances News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting International Flavors & Fragrances this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer raised its price target to $108 from $95 and maintained an “Outperform” rating, implying additional upside from recent trading levels. Oppenheimer Adjusts Price Target on International Flavors & Fragrances to $108 From $95, Keeps Outperform Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded IFF from “Hold” to “Strong Buy,” adding a favorable analyst-rating catalyst for the stock. Zacks Research Stock Recommendations
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its EPS forecasts across multiple periods: Q3 2026 to $0.72 from $0.71, FY2026 to $3.20 from $3.19, Q3 2027 to $1.01 from $1.00, Q4 2027 to $1.11 from $1.10, FY2027 to $4.00 from $3.99, and FY2028 to $4.73 from $4.71. The revisions suggest modestly improving expectations for IFF’s earnings trajectory.
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite the bullish analyst commentary, IFF’s latest reported quarter missed consensus estimates for both earnings and revenue, so investors may look for evidence that operational improvement supports the more optimistic forecasts.

About International Flavors & Fragrances

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc NYSE: IFF develops and manufactures ingredients, flavor systems, fragrances and specialty solutions used in consumer and industrial products. Its offerings support food and beverage manufacturers, fragrance and personal care companies, household-product makers, pharmaceutical businesses and other customers.

The company's portfolio includes flavors for beverages, dairy products, sweet goods, savory foods and other applications; fragrances for fine fragrance, personal care and home care products; and functional ingredients, enzymes, cultures, natural extracts and other specialty materials.

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