International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) Hits New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Shares of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $89.32 and last traded at $84.87, with a volume of 380185 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $80.89.

More International Flavors & Fragrances News

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

• Positive Sentiment: IFF reportedly plans to repurchase up to $2.5 billion of shares, which could support earnings per share and signal management’s confidence in the company’s valuation. International Flavors & Fragrances to Buy Back $2.50 Billion in Shares
• Positive Sentiment: Benchmark raised its price target from $100 to $105 and maintained a “buy” rating, citing potential upside as IFF advances its portfolio overhaul. Benchmark Raises IFF Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: UBS increased its target from $84 to $91. Although UBS kept a neutral rating, the higher valuation suggests improved expectations following the company’s latest update. UBS Raises IFF Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: IFF’s ongoing divestitures, including the planned sale of its Food Ingredients business, are intended to strengthen the balance sheet and concentrate the company on higher-growth, higher-margin operations. Recent insider purchases may reinforce confidence in the restructuring plan. Why IFF Stock Is Up Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Vertical Research downgraded IFF from “buy” to “hold” but set a $93 price target, still implying potential appreciation from the referenced share price. Vertical Research Downgrades IFF
• Negative Sentiment: Second-quarter adjusted EPS came in at $0.82, below the $1.07 consensus estimate, while revenue of $1.95 billion also missed expectations. IFF lowered its 2026 outlook, raising concerns about near-term demand and execution despite year-over-year sales growth. International Flavors Q2 Earnings Miss Estimates

Analyst Ratings Changes

IFF has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances in a report on Monday. UBS Group upped their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $84.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Berenberg Bank boosted their price objective on International Flavors & Fragrances from $83.00 to $84.80 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price objective on International Flavors & Fragrances from $96.00 to $88.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $91.82.

International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Performance

The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $77.57 and its 200 day simple moving average is $75.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 2.06 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The company has a market capitalization of $21.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 77.46, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.93.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.82 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 net margin of 2.78% and a return on equity of 7.11%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.15 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 4.42 EPS for the current year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 18th will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 18th. International Flavors & Fragrances’s payout ratio is 146.79%.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Paul J. Fribourg purchased 260,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 1st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $74.28 per share, for a total transaction of $19,312,800.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 2,682,730 shares in the company, valued at $199,273,184.40. This trade represents a 10.73% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.07% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Flavors & Fragrances

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of IFF. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its position in 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 last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 55.7% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 587 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 884.1% during the 2nd quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 679 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 610 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EFG International AG bought a new stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $73,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.02% of the company’s stock.

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.