KLCM Advisors Inc. Acquires New Stake in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. $IFF

Key Points

• KLCM Advisors Inc. disclosed a new stake in International Flavors & Fragrances, buying 173,775 shares valued at about $11.7 million. The position represents roughly 1.0% of KLCM’s portfolio.
• Analysts have recently turned more positive on IFF, with multiple firms raising price targets and the stock currently carrying a Moderate Buy consensus rating. The average price target stands at $90.80.
• IFF reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $1.25 per share on revenue of $2.74 billion, and it announced a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share. The stock was trading down 2.8% in Tuesday's session at $78.74.

KLCM Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 173,775 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock, valued at approximately $11,711,000. International Flavors & Fragrances comprises 1.0% of KLCM Advisors Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position. KLCM Advisors Inc. owned about 0.07% of International Flavors & Fragrances as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted 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 lifted 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 lifted its position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 42.8% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 798 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 239 shares in the last quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC lifted its position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 69.6% during the fourth quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 894 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 367 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AlphaQuest LLC lifted its position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 1,190.0% during the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 903 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 833 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.02% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Argus increased their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $97.00 to $105.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Weiss Ratings upgraded International Flavors & Fragrances from a "sell (d)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. BNP Paribas Exane increased their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $85.00 to $95.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price objective on International Flavors & Fragrances from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $90.80.

International Flavors & Fragrances Trading Down 2.8%

Shares of IFF stock opened at $78.74 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.49. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a 52-week low of $59.14 and a 52-week high of $84.45. The company has a market capitalization of $20.10 billion, a PE ratio of 24.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 0.93. The business's fifty day moving average is $72.69 and its 200 day moving average is $70.59.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.17. International Flavors & Fragrances had a return on equity of 7.65% and a net margin of 7.78%.The company had revenue of $2.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.20 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was down 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 4.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 18th. International Flavors & Fragrances's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 48.93%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Paul J. Fribourg bought 142,000 shares of International Flavors & Fragrances stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $70.13 per share, with a total value of $9,958,460.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly 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 filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.07% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

International Flavors & Fragrances Company 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.