International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) Lowered to Strong Sell Rating by Zacks Research

Zacks Research downgraded shares of International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report released on Thursday morning,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on IFF. Rothschild & Co Redburn dropped their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $74.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances in a research note on Monday. Argus increased their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $92.16.

International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of IFF opened at $85.80 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $21.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 78.72, a PEG ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.93. International Flavors & Fragrances has a 52 week low of $59.14 and a 52 week high of $89.32. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $77.77 and its 200-day moving average price is $75.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 2.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.82 earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $1.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.62 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.15 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that International Flavors & Fragrances will post 3.85 EPS for the current year.

International Flavors & Fragrances declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, August 4th that allows the company to buyback $2.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the specialty chemicals company to buy up to 12.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

International Flavors & Fragrances Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 18th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 18th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. International Flavors & Fragrances’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 146.79%.

Insider Buying and Selling at International Flavors & Fragrances

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Flavors & Fragrances

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its stake in International Flavors & Fragrances by 97.9% in 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 last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in International Flavors & Fragrances by 55.7% in 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 last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances by 884.1% in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, EFG International AG acquired a new stake in International Flavors & Fragrances during the 4th quarter worth $73,000. 96.02% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More International Flavors & Fragrances News

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.