J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG Raises Stock Position in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF)

J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG lifted its position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF - Free Report) by 258.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 35,888 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after purchasing an additional 25,865 shares during the period. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG's holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances were worth $3,034,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in International Flavors & Fragrances in the third quarter worth about $406,000. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its stake in International Flavors & Fragrances by 9.3% during the third quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 8,809 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $924,000 after purchasing an additional 750 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 2.1% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 470,676 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $49,388,000 after acquiring an additional 9,555 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 46.8% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,041 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $88,000 after buying an additional 332 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Central Pacific Bank Trust Division grew its holdings in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 8.2% in the fourth quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 10,600 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $896,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares during the last quarter. 96.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

International Flavors & Fragrances Price Performance

Shares of NYSE IFF traded down $0.37 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $76.27. 1,348,646 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,537,553. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.50 billion, a PE ratio of 81.14, a P/E/G ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.21. The company's 50 day moving average is $77.14 and its 200 day moving average is $85.33. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a one year low of $65.85 and a one year high of $106.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.93.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.83 by $0.14. International Flavors & Fragrances had a net margin of 2.12% and a return on equity of 7.72%. The business had revenue of $2.77 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.67 billion. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 4.32 earnings per share for the current year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 11th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st were paid a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.10%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 21st. International Flavors & Fragrances's dividend payout ratio is presently 170.21%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other International Flavors & Fragrances news, Director Kevin O'byrne bought 6,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $80.44 per share, with a total value of $522,860.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 6,500 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $522,860. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

IFF has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Barclays dropped their price objective on International Flavors & Fragrances from $82.00 to $76.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 14th. Citigroup decreased their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $99.00 to $84.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $105.00 to $90.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $106.00 to $100.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Oppenheimer reduced their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $104.00 to $89.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, International Flavors & Fragrances has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $94.54.

International Flavors & Fragrances Company Profile

International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc engages in the manufacture and supply of flavors and fragrances used in the food, beverage, personal care, and household products industries. It operates through the following segments: Nourish, Health & Biosciences, Scent and Pharma Solutions. The Nourish segment consists of legacy Taste segment combined with N&B's Food & Beverage division and the food protection business of N&B's Health & Biosciences division.