National Pension Service Cuts Holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. $IFF

Key Points

• National Pension Service sharply reduced its stake in International Flavors & Fragrances by 85.9% in the fourth quarter, selling 394,374 shares and leaving it with 64,916 shares worth about $4.38 million.
• IFF reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $1.25 per share versus $1.08 expected, along with revenue of $2.74 billion, though sales still declined 3.6% year over year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share, payable July 10, while analysts remain broadly constructive with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $90.49.

National Pension Service trimmed its holdings in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF - Free Report) by 85.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 64,916 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after selling 394,374 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service's holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances were worth $4,375,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings 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. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in 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 valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 610 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its holdings in 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 valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 239 shares during the period. Finally, Cromwell Holdings LLC increased its holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances by 69.6% during the fourth quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 894 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 367 shares during the period. 96.02% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

International Flavors & Fragrances Trading Down 2.4%

NYSE:IFF opened at $74.23 on Tuesday. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a 12 month low of $59.14 and a 12 month high of $84.45. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $73.32 and a 200-day simple moving average of $71.83. 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 company has a market capitalization of $18.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.70, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.94.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $2.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.20 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 4.57 earnings per share for the current year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 18th. International Flavors & Fragrances's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 48.93%.

Insider Activity

In other International Flavors & Fragrances news, Director Paul J. Fribourg bought 142,000 shares of International Flavors & Fragrances stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 2,422,730 shares in the company, valued at approximately $169,906,054.90. This trade represents a 6.23% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 1.07% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently issued reports on IFF. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $75.00 to $86.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $85.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. 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 note on Thursday, May 7th. 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 note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Berenberg Bank raised their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $83.00 to $84.80 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $90.49.

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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