International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) Shares Acquired by Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc.

Key Points

• Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. increased its stake in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. by 6.1% to 207,219 shares, making it the 17th largest position in their portfolio.
• International Flavors & Fragrances reported $1.20 EPS for the last quarter, exceeding estimates, but revenue decreased by 1.9% year-over-year, totaling $2.84 billion.
• The company's quarterly dividend of $0.40 resulted in an annualized yield of 2.11%, with a dividend payout ratio currently at -48.93%.

Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. grew its position in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF - Free Report) by 6.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 207,219 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after acquiring an additional 11,877 shares during the quarter. International Flavors & Fragrances comprises 2.3% of Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 17th largest position. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. owned 0.08% of International Flavors & Fragrances worth $16,082,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in IFF. Teacher Retirement System of Texas acquired a new stake in International Flavors & Fragrances during the 4th quarter worth $330,000. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 77.5% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 84,054 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $7,107,000 after acquiring an additional 36,711 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. boosted its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 6.0% during the fourth quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 174,671 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $14,768,000 after acquiring an additional 9,879 shares during the last quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. grew its stake in International Flavors & Fragrances by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 4,738 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $401,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 510,362 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $42,115,000 after acquiring an additional 7,250 shares during the last quarter. 96.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

International Flavors & Fragrances Trading Down 2.0%

NYSE IFF opened at $75.94 on Friday. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a 12 month low of $65.85 and a 12 month high of $106.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.42 billion, a P/E ratio of -23.22, a PEG ratio of 3.43 and a beta of 1.04. The firm's 50-day moving average is $75.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $78.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 1.87 and a quick ratio of 1.39.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.20 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.12 by $0.08. International Flavors & Fragrances had a negative net margin of 7.31% and a positive return on equity of 7.99%. The firm had revenue of $2.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.83 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.13 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 4.32 earnings per share for the current year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 11th. Investors of record on Friday, June 20th were issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 20th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.11%. International Flavors & Fragrances's dividend payout ratio is presently -48.93%.

Insider Activity

In other International Flavors & Fragrances news, EVP Stephen N. Landsman purchased 12,000 shares of International Flavors & Fragrances stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 19th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $77.28 per share, with a total value of $927,360.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 12,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $927,360. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Mehmood Khan acquired 4,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 15th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $75.33 per share, with a total value of $301,320.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 4,604 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $346,819.32. This represents a 662.25% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have acquired 22,050 shares of company stock worth $1,688,512 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on IFF shares. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $110.00 to $100.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Citigroup upped their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $84.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Tigress Financial started coverage on International Flavors & Fragrances in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $105.00 target price for the company. Barclays raised shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their price target for the company from $76.00 to $84.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $105.00 to $90.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $93.43.

International Flavors & Fragrances Company Profile

International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc engages in the manufacture and supply of flavors and fragrances used in the food, beverage, personal care, and household products industries. It operates through the following segments: Nourish, Health & Biosciences, Scent and Pharma Solutions. The Nourish segment consists of legacy Taste segment combined with N&B's Food & Beverage division and the food protection business of N&B's Health & Biosciences division.

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