SG Americas Securities LLC Has $16.46 Million Position in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. $IFF

Key Points

• SG Americas Securities LLC increased its stake in International Flavors & Fragrances by 62.2% in the first quarter, ending with 226,822 shares valued at about $16.46 million.
• IFF’s most recent quarterly results beat expectations, reporting $1.25 EPS on revenue of $2.74 billion, both above analyst forecasts. The company also kept its quarterly dividend at $0.40 per share, implying a 2.1% yield.
• Analysts remain generally bullish on the stock: IFF has an average rating of Moderate Buy with an average price target of $90.58, while several firms recently raised targets and only a small number rate it Hold.

SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF - Free Report) by 62.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 226,822 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after purchasing an additional 86,963 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC owned about 0.09% of International Flavors & Fragrances worth $16,456,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Tran Capital Management L.P. acquired a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances in the fourth quarter valued at about $21,924,000. Icahn Carl C raised its position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 26.7% during the third quarter. Icahn Carl C now owns 4,750,000 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $292,315,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000,000 shares during the period. Dodge & Cox lifted its holdings in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 5.5% during the 3rd quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 36,972,638 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $2,275,296,000 after purchasing an additional 1,925,251 shares in the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 27.5% during the 4th quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 8,831,668 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $595,166,000 after purchasing an additional 1,904,598 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd grew its position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 117.0% in the 4th quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 148,377 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $9,999,000 after purchasing an additional 80,014 shares during the period. 96.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at International Flavors & Fragrances

In other International Flavors & Fragrances news, Director Paul J. Fribourg acquired 260,000 shares of International Flavors & Fragrances stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $74.28 per share, for a total transaction of $19,312,800.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 2,682,730 shares in the company, valued at approximately $199,273,184.40. This represents a 10.73% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.07% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

International Flavors & Fragrances Trading Down 1.3%

NYSE:IFF opened at $74.87 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $19.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.94. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a twelve month low of $59.14 and a twelve month high of $84.45. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $74.86 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $72.86. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.20 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 4.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 18th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. International Flavors & Fragrances's payout ratio is 48.93%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on IFF shares. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 1st. Berenberg Bank upped their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $83.00 to $84.80 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane increased their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $85.00 to $95.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, International Flavors & Fragrances presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $90.58.

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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