Argent Capital Management LLC Purchases Shares of 267,273 International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. $IFF

Key Points

• Argent Capital Management purchased 267,273 shares of International Flavors & Fragrances, valued at approximately $19.4 million, establishing a roughly 0.10% stake. Institutional investors collectively own 96.02% of IFF.
• Director Paul J. Fribourg bought 260,000 shares for about $19.3 million, increasing his position by 10.73%; company insiders now own 1.07% of the stock.
• IFF exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, reporting $1.25 in EPS and $2.74 billion in revenue, while declaring a $0.40 quarterly dividend. Analysts give the stock a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $91.16.

Argent Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 267,273 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock, valued at approximately $19,391,000. Argent Capital Management LLC owned about 0.10% of International Flavors & Fragrances as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 97.9% in the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 554 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 274 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 55.7% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 587 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in International Flavors & Fragrances by 884.1% in the 2nd quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 679 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 610 shares during the period. Finally, Cromwell Holdings LLC lifted its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 69.6% during the 4th quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 894 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 367 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.02% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at International Flavors & Fragrances

In other news, Director Paul J. Fribourg acquired 260,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $74.28 per share, with a total value of $19,312,800.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 2,682,730 shares in the company, valued at approximately $199,273,184.40. This represents a 10.73% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.07% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

International Flavors & Fragrances Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of IFF opened at $79.29 on Friday. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a 12 month low of $59.14 and a 12 month high of $84.45. The stock's 50-day moving average is $77.02 and its two-hundred day moving average is $74.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 1.49 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The stock has a market cap of $20.24 billion, a PE ratio of 24.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.93.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $2.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.64 billion. International Flavors & Fragrances had a return on equity of 7.65% and a net margin of 7.78%.The company's revenue was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.20 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 4.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Investors of record on Friday, September 18th will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 18th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. International Flavors & Fragrances's payout ratio is 48.93%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have issued reports on IFF. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. UBS Group lifted their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $75.00 to $86.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. BNP Paribas Exane boosted their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $85.00 to $95.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Argus raised their price objective on International Flavors & Fragrances from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Berenberg Bank lifted their price objective on International Flavors & Fragrances from $83.00 to $84.80 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $91.16.

International Flavors & Fragrances Profile

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc NYSE: IFF is a global leader in the creation and production of flavors, fragrances, cosmetic actives and nutritional lipids. The company develops taste and scent solutions for a wide array of end markets including food and beverage, personal care, household goods and pharmaceutical products. Its portfolio spans natural and nature-identical flavors, fine fragrances, functional ingredients for skin and hair care, and specialty oils that enhance nutritional value and sensory appeal.

IFF's research and development network comprises innovation centers in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America, where multidisciplinary teams collaborate on aroma chemistry, sensory science and biotechnology.

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