International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and twelve have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $90.80.

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from a “sell (d)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Rothschild & Co Redburn dropped their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $74.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th.

International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Up 1.4%

IFF stock opened at $76.95 on Thursday. International Flavors & Fragrances has a 52 week low of $59.14 and a 52 week high of $84.45. The company has a market capitalization of $19.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.93. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $72.91 and its two-hundred day moving average is $71.56. 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 (NYSE:IFF) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.25 EPS 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 company had revenue of $2.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.20 EPS. International Flavors & Fragrances’s revenue was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that International Flavors & Fragrances will post 4.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 18th will be issued a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 18th. International Flavors & Fragrances’s payout ratio is presently 48.93%.

Insider Activity at International Flavors & Fragrances

In other International Flavors & Fragrances news, Director Paul J. Fribourg bought 142,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $70.13 per share, for a total transaction of $9,958,460.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 2,422,730 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $169,906,054.90. This trade represents a 6.23% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. 1.07% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Root Financial Partners LLC grew its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 97.9% in the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 554 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 274 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 55.7% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 587 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 884.1% in the second quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 679 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 610 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 42.8% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 798 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 239 shares in the last quarter. 96.02% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.