International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) & Ecovyst (NYSE:ECVT) Head to Head Comparison

Ecovyst (NYSE:ECVT) and International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) are both basic materials companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, earnings, risk, profitability, institutional ownership, dividends and valuation.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Ecovyst and International Flavors & Fragrances”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Ecovyst	$723.50 million	1.95	-$71.13 million	($0.55)	-23.48
International Flavors & Fragrances	$10.89 billion	1.72	-$361.00 million	$3.27	22.40

Ecovyst has higher earnings, but lower revenue than International Flavors & Fragrances. Ecovyst is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than International Flavors & Fragrances, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares Ecovyst and International Flavors & Fragrances’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Ecovyst	-7.71%	11.58%	4.76%
International Flavors & Fragrances	7.78%	7.65%	4.25%

Insider and Institutional Ownership

86.7% of Ecovyst shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 96.0% of International Flavors & Fragrances shares are held by institutional investors. 1.8% of Ecovyst shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 1.1% of International Flavors & Fragrances shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Risk & Volatility

Ecovyst has a beta of 1.08, suggesting that its share price is 8% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, International Flavors & Fragrances has a beta of 0.94, suggesting that its share price is 6% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Ecovyst and International Flavors & Fragrances, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Ecovyst	1	1	4	0	2.50
International Flavors & Fragrances	0	5	12	0	2.71

Ecovyst currently has a consensus target price of $14.20, indicating a potential upside of 9.97%. International Flavors & Fragrances has a consensus target price of $90.49, indicating a potential upside of 23.52%. Given International Flavors & Fragrances’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe International Flavors & Fragrances is more favorable than Ecovyst.

Summary

International Flavors & Fragrances beats Ecovyst on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Ecovyst

Ecovyst Inc. offers specialty catalysts and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Ecoservices and Advanced Materials & Catalysts. The Ecoservices segment provides sulfuric acid recycling services and end-to-end logistics for production of alkylate for refineries; and virgin sulfuric acid for mining, water treatment, and industrial applications. The Advanced Materials & Catalysts segment offers advanced materials and specialty catalyst products and process solutions to producers and licensors of polyethylene and advanced silicas. This segment also supplies specialty zeolites and zeolite-based catalysts to customers for refining of oil primarily hydrocracking catalyst and dewaxing, sustainable fuels, and emission control systems for both on-road and non-road diesel engines. The company was formerly known as PQ Group Holdings Inc. and changed its name to Ecovyst Inc. in August 2021. Ecovyst Inc. was founded in 1831 and is headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

About International Flavors & Fragrances

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. The Health & Biosciences business consists of a biotechnology-driven portfolio of enzymes, food cultures, probiotics and specialty ingredients for food, home and personal care, and health and wellness applications. The Scent business creates fragrance compounds, fragrance ingredients and cosmetic ingredients that are integral elements in the world’s finest perfumes and best-known household and personal care products. The Pharma Solutions business produces a vast portfolio including cellulosics and seaweed-based pharma excipients, used to improve the functionality and delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients, including controlled or modified drug release formulations, and enabling. The company was founded in 1833 and is headquartered in New York, NY.