International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) Rating Lowered to "Sell" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded IFF from “hold” to “sell,” although broader analyst sentiment remains more favorable, with 13 buy ratings, six holds and a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating.
• IFF’s latest quarterly results missed expectations: EPS was $0.82 versus $1.07 forecast, while revenue of $1.95 billion fell short of the $2.62 billion estimate. Analysts expect full-year EPS of approximately $3.85.
• The company authorized a $2.5 billion share-repurchase program, covering up to 12.1% of outstanding shares, potentially supporting per-share earnings and signaling management’s confidence in the stock’s value.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF - Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report released on Saturday.

IFF has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $97.00 to $105.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $96.00 to $88.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Rothschild & Co Redburn cut their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $74.00 to $71.00 in a report on Friday, May 8th. Vertical Research lowered International Flavors & Fragrances from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $93.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Thursday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $92.16.

International Flavors & Fragrances Price Performance

Shares of NYSE IFF opened at $85.80 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $77.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of $75.47. The stock has a market cap of $21.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 78.72, a P/E/G ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.93. International Flavors & Fragrances has a twelve month low of $59.14 and a twelve month high of $89.32. The company has a current ratio of 2.06, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.82 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.07 by ($0.25). International Flavors & Fragrances had a net margin of 2.78% and a return on equity of 7.11%. The business had revenue of $1.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.62 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.15 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that International Flavors & Fragrances will post 3.85 earnings per share for the current year.

International Flavors & Fragrances announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, August 4th that authorizes the company to repurchase $2.50 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the specialty chemicals company to reacquire up to 12.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Paul J. Fribourg purchased 260,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 1st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $74.28 per share, for a total transaction of $19,312,800.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 2,682,730 shares in the company, valued at approximately $199,273,184.40. The trade was a 10.73% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael Deveau sold 8,825 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.55, for a total value of $754,978.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 5,199 shares of the company's stock, valued at $444,774.45. The trade was a 62.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 1.07% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of International Flavors & Fragrances

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of IFF. First Eagle Investment Management LLC increased 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 worth $595,166,000 after buying an additional 1,904,598 shares during the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd raised its holdings 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 worth $9,999,000 after purchasing an additional 80,014 shares during the period. UBS Group AG lifted its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 53.5% in the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,695,343 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $114,249,000 after purchasing an additional 590,997 shares in the last quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. grew its holdings in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 38.1% during the 4th quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. now owns 199,302 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $13,431,000 after purchasing an additional 54,971 shares during the period. Finally, Strs Ohio increased its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 346.2% during the 4th quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 27,337 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $1,842,000 after purchasing an additional 21,211 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.02% of the company's stock.

International Flavors & Fragrances News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting International Flavors & Fragrances this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target from $90 to $96 and upgraded its stance to “overweight,” implying approximately 12% upside from the reference price. The move signals improving confidence in IFF’s earnings outlook and restructuring efforts. Benzinga analyst update
• Positive Sentiment: Benchmark increased its target from $100 to $105 and maintained a “buy” rating, representing roughly 22% potential upside. This is the most bullish valuation among the recent analyst actions. Benzinga analyst update
• Positive Sentiment: IFF plans to repurchase up to $2.5 billion of its shares, which could support per-share earnings and signal that management views the stock as attractively valued. IFF share buyback report
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS raised its price target from $84 to $91 but retained a “neutral” rating. The higher valuation provides modest upside, while the unchanged rating suggests the firm sees balanced potential and risks. Benzinga analyst update
• Negative Sentiment: Vertical Research downgraded IFF from “buy” to “hold,” despite assigning a $93 price target. The downgrade may limit enthusiasm because it reflects less conviction in near-term upside. Finviz analyst update
• Negative Sentiment: Second-quarter results were mixed to weak: adjusted earnings per share came in at $0.82 versus the $1.07 consensus, while revenue of $1.95 billion missed estimates of $2.62 billion. IFF also lowered its full-year sales outlook, overshadowing modest year-over-year revenue growth. International Flavors Q2 earnings snapshot

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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