Clarkston Capital Partners LLC Buys 243,300 Shares of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. $IFF

Key Points

• Clarkston Capital Partners boosted its stake in International Flavors & Fragrances by 149.9% in the fourth quarter, adding 243,300 shares to bring its total holdings to 405,620 shares worth about $27.3 million.
• Insider buying also stood out: Director Paul J. Fribourg purchased 260,000 shares at $74.28 each, a transaction valued at about $19.3 million and a 10.73% increase in his position.
• IFF recently reported quarterly earnings of $1.25 per share, beating estimates, while revenue came in at $2.74 billion; the company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share, implying a 2.0% annualized yield.

Clarkston Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF - Free Report) by 149.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 405,620 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after acquiring an additional 243,300 shares during the period. Clarkston Capital Partners LLC owned approximately 0.16% of International Flavors & Fragrances worth $27,335,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 884.1% during the second 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 in the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 42.8% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 798 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 239 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AlphaQuest LLC grew its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 1,190.0% in the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 903 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 833 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.02% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at International Flavors & Fragrances

In other news, Director Paul J. Fribourg acquired 260,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The stock was bought at an average price 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. The trade was a 10.73% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.07% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on IFF. BNP Paribas Exane raised their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $85.00 to $95.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 1st. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $75.00 to $86.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $91.05.

International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Performance

Shares of IFF opened at $78.19 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $74.13 and a 200-day moving average of $72.34. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a one year low of $59.14 and a one year high of $84.45. The company has a market cap of $19.96 billion, a PE ratio of 23.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 1.49 and a quick ratio of 0.87.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.17. International Flavors & Fragrances had a net margin of 7.78% and a return on equity of 7.65%. The company had revenue of $2.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.20 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 4.56 earnings per share for the current year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 18th will be given a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 18th. International Flavors & Fragrances's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 48.93%.

About International Flavors & Fragrances

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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