International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) Upgraded to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report published on Sunday morning,Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $95.00 to $108.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. KeyCorp started coverage on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances in a report on Thursday, September 10th. They set a “sector weight” rating for the company. Weiss Ratings raised shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. UBS Group upped their price objective on International Flavors & Fragrances from $84.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded International Flavors & Fragrances from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $94.28.

International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Performance

Shares of International Flavors & Fragrances stock opened at $94.11 on Friday. International Flavors & Fragrances has a one year low of $61.29 and a one year high of $94.59. The company has a market cap of $24.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 86.34, a PEG ratio of 4.04 and a beta of 0.91. 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 business’s 50 day moving average price is $85.95 and its 200 day moving average price is $79.94.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) last issued its earnings results 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). 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.62 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.15 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that International Flavors & Fragrances will post 3.24 EPS for the current year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 9th. Investors of record on Friday, September 18th were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 18th. International Flavors & Fragrances’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 146.79%.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at International Flavors & Fragrances

In other International Flavors & Fragrances news, insider De Mendonca Ana Paula Teles sold 5,718 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.19, for a total transaction of $475,680.42. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Marc Birenkrant sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.00, for a total transaction of $85,000.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,446 shares in the company, valued at $292,910. This represents a 22.49% decrease in their position. 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 in the last three months. 1.07% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Flavors & Fragrances

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances in the second quarter valued at $1,835,955,000. Nykredit A S purchased a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances in the second quarter valued at $223,065,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances in the second quarter valued at $131,760,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances during the 2nd quarter worth $122,792,000. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances during the 2nd quarter worth $107,310,000. 96.02% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting International Flavors & Fragrances

Here are the key news stories impacting International Flavors & Fragrances this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer raised its price target to $108 from $95 and maintained an “Outperform” rating, implying additional upside from recent trading levels. Oppenheimer Adjusts Price Target on International Flavors & Fragrances to $108 From $95, Keeps Outperform Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded IFF from “Hold” to “Strong Buy,” adding a favorable analyst-rating catalyst for the stock. Zacks Research Stock Recommendations
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its EPS forecasts across multiple periods: Q3 2026 to $0.72 from $0.71, FY2026 to $3.20 from $3.19, Q3 2027 to $1.01 from $1.00, Q4 2027 to $1.11 from $1.10, FY2027 to $4.00 from $3.99, and FY2028 to $4.73 from $4.71. The revisions suggest modestly improving expectations for IFF’s earnings trajectory.
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite the bullish analyst commentary, IFF’s latest reported quarter missed consensus estimates for both earnings and revenue, so investors may look for evidence that operational improvement supports the more optimistic forecasts.

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.