International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) received an average analyst rating of “Moderate Buy” from 18 covering firms, with 13 buy ratings and 5 hold ratings. The average 12-month price target is about $91.05.
• Several analysts raised their price targets on IFF, including JPMorgan, BNP Paribas Exane, Oppenheimer, Jefferies, and Citigroup, reflecting generally positive sentiment toward the stock.
• The company reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings, posting $1.25 EPS versus $1.08 expected and revenue of $2.74 billion versus $2.64 billion expected. IFF also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share, yielding about 2.1% annually.

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the eighteen research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $91.0471.

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on IFF shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. BNP Paribas Exane upped their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $85.00 to $95.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Oppenheimer upped their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $97.00 to $105.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th.

International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of International Flavors & Fragrances stock opened at $76.90 on Monday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $74.64 and a 200 day moving average price of $72.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.49, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. International Flavors & Fragrances has a twelve month low of $59.14 and a twelve month high of $84.45. The stock has a market cap of $19.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.94.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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. International Flavors & Fragrances had a net margin of 7.78% and a return on equity of 7.65%. The firm had revenue of $2.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.20 EPS. The firm's revenue was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that International Flavors & Fragrances will post 4.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Announces Dividend

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 $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 18th. International Flavors & Fragrances's dividend payout ratio is presently 48.93%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Paul J. Fribourg acquired 260,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $74.28 per share, with a total value of $19,312,800.00. Following the transaction, 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 acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.07% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Flavors & Fragrances

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 97.9% during the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 554 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 274 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 55.7% during the 1st 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 last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 884.1% during the 2nd 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 last quarter. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 42.8% during the 4th 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 last quarter. 96.02% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About International Flavors & Fragrances

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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