International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) Raised to “Strong-Buy” at Zacks Research

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) was upgraded by Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued on Tuesday, Zacks reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for International Flavors & Fragrances’ Q1 2027 earnings at $0.99 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.90 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $3.99 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $1.19 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $1.21 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $1.20 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $4.71 EPS.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. KeyCorp assumed coverage on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. They set a “sector weight” rating on the stock. Benchmark boosted their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $101.00 to $100.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, October 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $93.22.

International Flavors & Fragrances Price Performance

IFF stock opened at $91.06 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $85.55 and a 200-day simple moving average of $79.63. International Flavors & Fragrances has a 1 year low of $61.29 and a 1 year high of $92.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a current ratio of 2.06. The firm has a market cap of $23.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 83.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.85 and a beta of 0.91.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.07 by ($0.25). The business had revenue of $1.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.62 billion. International Flavors & Fragrances had a return on equity of 7.11% and a net margin of 2.78%. International Flavors & Fragrances’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.15 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that International Flavors & Fragrances will post 3.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Flavors & Fragrances declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, August 4th that permits the company to repurchase $2.50 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the specialty chemicals company to purchase up to 12.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Share repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Michael Deveau sold 8,825 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.55, for a total value of $754,978.75. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 5,199 shares in the company, valued at approximately $444,774.45. The trade was a 62.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider De Mendonca Ana Paula Teles sold 5,718 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.19, for a total transaction of $475,680.42. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 15,543 shares of company stock valued at $1,315,659 over the last three months. Insiders own 1.07% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Flavors & Fragrances

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted 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 valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 274 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its holdings in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 27.9% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 706 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Westpac Banking Corp acquired a new position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances during the second quarter worth $91,000. Mather Group LLC. lifted its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 24.0% in the 3rd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 1,393 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $116,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt bought a new position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances in the 2nd quarter valued at $148,000. Institutional investors own 96.02% of the company’s stock.

International Flavors & Fragrances Company Profile

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc (NYSE:IFF) develops and manufactures ingredients, flavor systems, fragrances and specialty solutions used in consumer and industrial products. Its offerings support food and beverage manufacturers, fragrance and personal care companies, household-product makers, pharmaceutical businesses and other customers.

The company’s portfolio includes flavors for beverages, dairy products, sweet goods, savory foods and other applications; fragrances for fine fragrance, personal care and home care products; and functional ingredients, enzymes, cultures, natural extracts and other specialty materials.