Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co Buys Shares of 50,000 International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. $IFF

Key Points

• Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co bought a new stake in International Flavors & Fragrances, acquiring 50,000 shares worth about $3.37 million in the fourth quarter.
• IFF is seeing strong institutional interest, with several hedge funds and asset managers adding to positions and 96.02% of the stock now owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
• The company recently reported better-than-expected quarterly results and announced a $0.40 quarterly dividend, while also moving ahead with a $4.3 billion sale of its Food Ingredients business to CVC.

Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co bought a new stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 50,000 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock, valued at approximately $3,370,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of IFF. Tran Capital Management L.P. acquired a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances during the 4th quarter worth $21,924,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 28.8% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,098,575 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $67,612,000 after acquiring an additional 245,719 shares during the period. Dodge & Cox lifted its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 36,972,638 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $2,275,296,000 after acquiring an additional 1,925,251 shares during the period. Icahn Carl C lifted its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 26.7% in the 3rd quarter. Icahn Carl C now owns 4,750,000 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $292,315,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000,000 shares during the period. Finally, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,727,000. 96.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about International Flavors & Fragrances

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

• Positive Sentiment: IFF said the Food Ingredients sale to CVC is valued at roughly $4.3 billion, or about 10x EBITDA, which could help strengthen the balance sheet and support a more focused business mix. IFF Enters Into Agreement to Sell Its Food Ingredients Business to CVC
• Positive Sentiment: The company also backed its annual sales outlook, which may reassure investors that the divestiture is part of a broader profitability strategy rather than a sign of weakening demand. IFF To Sell Food Ingredients Business For $4.3 Bln, Backs Annual Sales Outlook; Pre-Market Stock Up
• Neutral Sentiment: LMR by IFF opened a new experimental field in Grasse, France, highlighting ongoing investment in natural ingredients and perfumery research, but this is unlikely to have an immediate stock-moving impact. LMR by IFF Inaugurates New Experimental Field in Grasse
• Negative Sentiment: Some investors may worry that selling the Food Ingredients unit reduces IFF’s scale and removes a key revenue contributor, even if the move improves profitability over time. International Flavors and Fragrances nears $4 billion deal to sell food ingredients business, WSJ reports

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Citigroup upped their price objective on International Flavors & Fragrances from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on International Flavors & Fragrances from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. BNP Paribas Exane upped their price objective on International Flavors & Fragrances from $85.00 to $95.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on International Flavors & Fragrances from $75.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $90.80.

International Flavors & Fragrances Trading Down 2.6%

Shares of NYSE IFF opened at $76.01 on Friday. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a 12 month low of $59.14 and a 12 month high of $84.45. The company has a market cap of $19.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $73.20 and a 200-day simple moving average of $71.70.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.64 billion. International Flavors & Fragrances had a net margin of 7.78% and a return on equity of 7.65%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.20 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 4.55 EPS for the current year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 18th will be given a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 18th. International Flavors & Fragrances's dividend payout ratio is 48.93%.

Insider Activity at International Flavors & Fragrances

In other news, Director Paul J. Fribourg purchased 142,000 shares of International Flavors & Fragrances stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $70.13 per share, for a total transaction of $9,958,460.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 2,422,730 shares in the company, valued at $169,906,054.90. The trade was a 6.23% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 1.07% of the company's stock.

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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