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

Key Points

• International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) has an average analyst rating of “Moderate Buy” from 17 brokerage firms, with 12 buy ratings and 5 hold ratings. The average 12-month price target is $90.80.
• Several analysts recently raised their price targets on IFF, including Barclays to $90, UBS to $86, Citigroup to $96, and Mizuho to $85. One firm, Rothschild & Co Redburn, cut its target slightly to $71.
• The company beat quarterly earnings estimates, reporting $1.25 EPS versus the expected $1.08 and revenue of $2.74 billion versus estimates of $2.64 billion. IFF also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share, payable July 10, implying a 2.1% annual yield.

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF - Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the seventeen ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $90.80.

Several research analysts have recently commented on IFF shares. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $75.00 to $86.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Rothschild & Co Redburn decreased their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $74.00 to $71.00 in a report on Friday, May 8th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th.

International Flavors & Fragrances Price Performance

Shares of IFF stock opened at $76.95 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $19.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 1.49 and a quick ratio of 0.87. International Flavors & Fragrances has a 1-year low of $59.14 and a 1-year high of $84.45. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $72.91 and a two-hundred day moving average of $71.56.

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 earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $2.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.64 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.20 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that International Flavors & Fragrances will post 4.55 earnings per share 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. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 18th will be issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 18th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. International Flavors & Fragrances's payout ratio is 48.93%.

Insider Activity at International Flavors & Fragrances

In other news, Director Paul J. Fribourg bought 142,000 shares of International Flavors & Fragrances stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $70.13 per share, with a total value of $9,958,460.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 2,422,730 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $169,906,054.90. This trade represents a 6.23% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 1.07% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 274 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 610 shares during the period. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 239 shares during the period. 96.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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