International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) versus Symrise (OTCMKTS:SYIEY) Head to Head Survey

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) and Symrise (OTCMKTS:SYIEY) are both large-cap basic materials companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, valuation and profitability.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

96.0% of International Flavors & Fragrances shares are held by institutional investors. 0.2% of International Flavors & Fragrances shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Volatility & Risk

International Flavors & Fragrances has a beta of 1.04, suggesting that its stock price is 4% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Symrise has a beta of 0.7, suggesting that its stock price is 30% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings & Valuation

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

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
International Flavors & Fragrances	$11.48 billion	1.56	$243.00 million	($1.62)	-43.05
Symrise	$5.41 billion	2.17	$517.49 million	N/A	N/A

Symrise has lower revenue, but higher earnings than International Flavors & Fragrances.

Dividends

International Flavors & Fragrances pays an annual dividend of $1.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.3%. Symrise pays an annual dividend of $0.18 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.9%. International Flavors & Fragrances pays out -98.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for International Flavors & Fragrances and Symrise, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
International Flavors & Fragrances	2	4	12	0	2.56
Symrise	0	1	2	1	3.00

International Flavors & Fragrances presently has a consensus target price of $86.46, indicating a potential upside of 23.98%. Given International Flavors & Fragrances’ higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe International Flavors & Fragrances is more favorable than Symrise.

Profitability

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

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
International Flavors & Fragrances	-3.72%	8.03%	4.12%
Symrise	N/A	N/A	N/A

Summary

International Flavors & Fragrances beats Symrise on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

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.

About Symrise

Symrise AG supplies fragrances, flavorings, cosmetic active ingredients and raw materials, and functional ingredients in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, North America, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America. It operates through two segments, Taste, Nutrition & Health; and Scent & Care. The Taste, Nutrition & Health segment provides functional ingredients and product solutions used in the production of food and beverages; savory flavors; natural and sustainable ingredients for food and beverage manufacturers, baby food, and dietary supplements; product solutions and services for pet food manufacturers; sustainable ingredients and services for fish feed manufacturers to develop solutions for fish and shrimp farms; and probiotics for food supplements and functional foods. The Scent & Care segment develops, produces, and sells fragrance ingredients and compositions, aroma molecules, cosmetic ingredients, and mint flavors, as well as specific application processes for such substances. This segment's products are used by manufacturers of perfumes, personal care and cosmetic products, cleaning products, detergents, air fresheners, and oral care products. Symrise AG was founded in 1874 and is headquartered in Holzminden, Germany.