International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) Cut to “Hold” at Vertical Research

Vertical Research downgraded shares of International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Thursday, Marketbeat reports. Vertical Research currently has $93.00 price objective on the specialty chemicals company’s stock.

IFF has been the subject of several other reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn cut their price objective on International Flavors & Fragrances from $74.00 to $71.00 in a report on Friday, May 8th. Argus boosted their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $97.00 to $105.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, International Flavors & Fragrances has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $92.16.

International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Performance

Shares of IFF opened at $85.80 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $21.89 billion, a PE ratio of 78.72, a PEG ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 2.06. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $77.77 and its 200 day moving average price is $75.47. International Flavors & Fragrances has a 52 week low of $59.14 and a 52 week high of $89.32.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.07 by ($0.25). International Flavors & Fragrances had a return on equity of 7.11% and a net margin of 2.78%.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 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that International Flavors & Fragrances will post 3.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

International Flavors & Fragrances Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 18th will be given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 18th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. International Flavors & Fragrances’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 146.79%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Paul J. Fribourg purchased 260,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The stock was bought 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 directly owned 2,682,730 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $199,273,184.40. The trade was a 10.73% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael Deveau sold 8,825 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.55, for a total value of $754,978.75. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 5,199 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $444,774.45. The trade was a 62.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.07% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Flavors & Fragrances

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 97.9% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 554 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 274 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 55.7% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 587 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 884.1% in the second quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 679 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 610 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EFG International AG acquired a new stake in International Flavors & Fragrances during the fourth quarter worth $73,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.02% of the company’s stock.

More International Flavors & Fragrances News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target from $90 to $96 and upgraded its stance to “overweight,” implying approximately 12% upside from the reference price. The move signals improving confidence in IFF’s earnings outlook and restructuring efforts. Benzinga analyst update
• Positive Sentiment: Benchmark increased its target from $100 to $105 and maintained a “buy” rating, representing roughly 22% potential upside. This is the most bullish valuation among the recent analyst actions. Benzinga analyst update
• Positive Sentiment: IFF plans to repurchase up to $2.5 billion of its shares, which could support per-share earnings and signal that management views the stock as attractively valued. IFF share buyback report
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS raised its price target from $84 to $91 but retained a “neutral” rating. The higher valuation provides modest upside, while the unchanged rating suggests the firm sees balanced potential and risks. Benzinga analyst update
• Negative Sentiment: Vertical Research downgraded IFF from “buy” to “hold,” despite assigning a $93 price target. The downgrade may limit enthusiasm because it reflects less conviction in near-term upside. Finviz analyst update
• Negative Sentiment: Second-quarter results were mixed to weak: adjusted earnings per share came in at $0.82 versus the $1.07 consensus, while revenue of $1.95 billion missed estimates of $2.62 billion. IFF also lowered its full-year sales outlook, overshadowing modest year-over-year revenue growth. International Flavors Q2 earnings snapshot

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.