Zacks Research Downgrades International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) to Strong Sell

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) was downgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on IFF. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price 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. Vertical Research cut shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $93.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $84.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. Thirteen research 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. According to MarketBeat.com, International Flavors & Fragrances presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $92.16.

International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of NYSE:IFF opened at $85.80 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 2.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The company has a market capitalization 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 52-week low of $59.14 and a 52-week high of $89.32. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $77.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is $75.47.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.82 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.07 by ($0.25). International Flavors & Fragrances had a return on equity of 7.11% and a net margin of 2.78%.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 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that International Flavors & Fragrances will post 3.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Flavors & Fragrances declared that its board has approved a share buyback plan on Tuesday, August 4th that authorizes the company to buyback $2.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the specialty chemicals company to reacquire up to 12.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at International Flavors & Fragrances

In related news, Director Paul J. Fribourg bought 260,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 1st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $74.28 per share, with a total value of $19,312,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 2,682,730 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $199,273,184.40. The trade was a 10.73% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael Deveau sold 8,825 shares of the business’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 transaction of $754,978.75. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 5,199 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $444,774.45. The trade was a 62.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.07% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of International Flavors & Fragrances

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new stake in International Flavors & Fragrances during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 274 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of 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 purchased a new stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances during the 4th quarter worth about $73,000. 96.02% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting International Flavors & Fragrances

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

About International Flavors & Fragrances

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.