587,167 International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. $IFF Shares Sold by Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A.

Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. reduced its holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) by 18.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,639,227 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 587,167 shares during the quarter. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A.’s holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances were worth $221,228,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in IFF. Studio Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in International Flavors & Fragrances by 3.7% in the 2nd quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC now owns 3,916 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $312,000 after buying an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances by 27.9% in the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 706 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 154 shares during the period. Waverly Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC now owns 3,850 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $305,000 after acquiring an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,272 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $497,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 8,473 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $798,000 after acquiring an additional 207 shares during the period. 96.02% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

International Flavors & Fragrances Price Performance

Shares of International Flavors & Fragrances stock opened at $80.43 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $86.77 and its 200 day moving average price is $79.18. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a twelve month low of $62.06 and a twelve month high of $95.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.87, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 113.29, a PEG ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 0.86.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.83 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.81 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.91 billion. International Flavors & Fragrances had a return on equity of 6.82% and a net margin of 1.97%. The firm’s revenue was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.05 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 3.15 earnings per share for the current year.

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

International Flavors & Fragrances Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 13th. Stockholders of record on Saturday, December 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 18th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. International Flavors & Fragrances’s payout ratio is presently 225.35%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider De Mendonca Ana Paula Teles sold 5,718 shares of the 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 1.07% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently issued reports on IFF. Benchmark raised their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Argus boosted their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $85.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $91.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 5th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, October 25th. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $95.00 to $108.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $95.05.

International Flavors & Fragrances Company Profile

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE: IFF) develops ingredients and solutions used by manufacturers in food and beverages, fragrances, personal care, home care, health and wellness, and other consumer products. Its offerings include flavors, fragrance compounds, enzymes, cultures, probiotics, and specialty food ingredients. The company works with customers to create and improve products, including by enhancing taste and scent, supporting product performance, and developing ingredients for nutrition and wellness applications.