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

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: Eighteen analysts rate IFF a consensus "Moderate Buy" (13 buys, 4 holds, 1 sell) with an average 12‑month price target of $89.91.
• Insider buying: Director Paul J. Fribourg purchased 142,000 shares at about $70.13 on March 12 (~$9.96M), increasing his holding to 2,422,730 shares (a 6.23% increase).
• Financials & dividend: IFF reported Q EPS of $0.80 (missed $0.85) and revenue of $2.59B (beat est.) but revenue was down 6.6% YoY and net margin was negative (-3.2%); the company declared a $0.40 quarterly dividend (≈2.3% yield).

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the eighteen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have issued a hold recommendation and thirteen have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $89.9063.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on IFF shares. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $84.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, January 4th. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $66.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. BNP Paribas Exane cut their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $88.00 to $85.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Oppenheimer upgraded shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $97.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th.

Insider Transactions at International Flavors & Fragrances

In related news, Director Paul J. Fribourg bought 142,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $70.13 per share, for a total transaction of $9,958,460.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 2,422,730 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $169,906,054.90. The trade was a 6.23% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in IFF. DNB Asset Management AS boosted its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. DNB Asset Management AS now owns 53,741 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $3,622,000 after buying an additional 139 shares during the period. MML Investors Services LLC boosted its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 17,249 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $1,162,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the period. Rafferty Asset Management LLC boosted its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 0.7% during the third quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC now owns 21,837 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $1,344,000 after buying an additional 158 shares during the period. Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 6.1% during the third quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 3,021 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $186,000 after buying an additional 173 shares during the period. Finally, Parr Mcknight Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 0.9% during the third quarter. Parr Mcknight Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 23,129 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $1,423,000 after buying an additional 199 shares during the period. 96.02% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

International Flavors & Fragrances Trading Down 2.6%

International Flavors & Fragrances stock opened at $69.96 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $17.87 billion, a P/E ratio of -51.07, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.02. International Flavors & Fragrances has a fifty-two week low of $59.14 and a fifty-two week high of $84.45. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $74.47 and its 200-day moving average price is $68.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.42.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.85 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $2.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.52 billion. International Flavors & Fragrances had a positive return on equity of 7.67% and a negative net margin of 3.20%.The company's revenue for the quarter was down 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.97 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that International Flavors & Fragrances will post 4.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Investors of record on Friday, March 20th will be given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 20th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. International Flavors & Fragrances's payout ratio is -116.79%.

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.

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