International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. $IFF is Staley Capital Advisers Inc.'s 10th Largest Position

Key Points

• Staley Capital Advisers increased its stake in International Flavors & Fragrances by 13.8% in the fourth quarter, making IFF its 10th largest holding. The firm now owns 976,453 shares worth about $65.8 million.
• Other institutional investors also boosted positions, and 96.02% of IFF shares are held by hedge funds and other institutions. Insider buying was notable as Director Paul J. Fribourg purchased 142,000 shares in March.
• Analysts remain constructive on the stock, with multiple firms raising price targets and the consensus rating at “Moderate Buy.” IFF also beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, while declaring a $0.40 quarterly dividend yielding about 2.2%.

Staley Capital Advisers Inc. raised its holdings in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF - Free Report) by 13.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 976,453 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after buying an additional 118,475 shares during the period. International Flavors & Fragrances comprises approximately 2.7% of Staley Capital Advisers Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Staley Capital Advisers Inc. owned about 0.38% of International Flavors & Fragrances worth $65,803,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in IFF. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 5.3% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 26,315 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $2,042,000 after buying an additional 1,335 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 15.7% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 3,976 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $309,000 after buying an additional 539 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 71.5% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 10,454 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $811,000 after buying an additional 4,358 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 25.5% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 7,527 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $584,000 after buying an additional 1,530 shares during the period. Finally, 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 valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 210 shares during the period. 96.02% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at International Flavors & Fragrances

In other news, Director Paul J. Fribourg bought 142,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $70.13 per share, with a total value of $9,958,460.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 2,422,730 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $169,906,054.90. The trade was a 6.23% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.07% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $97.00 to $105.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $85.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $75.00 to $86.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Twelve 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, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $90.80.

International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Performance

International Flavors & Fragrances stock opened at $73.09 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.49, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $72.39 and a 200-day moving average of $70.85. The firm has a market cap of $18.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.93. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a 1-year low of $59.14 and a 1-year high of $84.45.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $2.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.64 billion. International Flavors & Fragrances had a net margin of 7.78% and a return on equity of 7.65%. International Flavors & Fragrances's revenue for the quarter was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.20 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 4.53 EPS 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. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 18th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 18th. International Flavors & Fragrances's payout ratio is presently 48.93%.

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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