Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. Makes New $211.70 Million Investment in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. $IFF

Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. bought a new position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund bought 3,138,343 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock, valued at approximately $211,703,000. International Flavors & Fragrances comprises approximately 0.7% of Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A.’s holdings, making the stock its 29th largest position.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Tran Capital Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances during the fourth quarter worth about $21,924,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 28.8% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,098,575 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $67,612,000 after purchasing an additional 245,719 shares during the last quarter. Dodge & Cox grew its holdings in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 5.5% during the third quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 36,972,638 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $2,275,296,000 after purchasing an additional 1,925,251 shares during the last quarter. Icahn Carl C grew its holdings in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 26.7% during the third quarter. Icahn Carl C now owns 4,750,000 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $292,315,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances during the third quarter worth about $1,727,000. 96.02% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other International Flavors & Fragrances news, Director Paul J. Fribourg purchased 142,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $70.13 per share, with a total value of $9,958,460.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 2,422,730 shares in the company, valued at $169,906,054.90. This represents a 6.23% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.07% of the stock is owned by insiders.

International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Performance

Shares of IFF stock opened at $76.01 on Friday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $73.20 and its 200 day simple moving average is $71.70. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a one year low of $59.14 and a one year high of $84.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.41 billion, a PE ratio of 23.25, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 1.49 and a quick ratio of 0.87.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.17. International Flavors & Fragrances had a return on equity of 7.65% and a net margin of 7.78%.The business had revenue of $2.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.20 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 4.55 earnings per share for the current year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 18th will be issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 18th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. International Flavors & Fragrances’s dividend payout ratio is presently 48.93%.

International Flavors & Fragrances News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: IFF said the Food Ingredients sale to CVC is valued at roughly $4.3 billion, or about 10x EBITDA, which could help strengthen the balance sheet and support a more focused business mix. IFF Enters Into Agreement to Sell Its Food Ingredients Business to CVC
• Positive Sentiment: The company also backed its annual sales outlook, which may reassure investors that the divestiture is part of a broader profitability strategy rather than a sign of weakening demand. IFF To Sell Food Ingredients Business For $4.3 Bln, Backs Annual Sales Outlook; Pre-Market Stock Up
• Neutral Sentiment: LMR by IFF opened a new experimental field in Grasse, France, highlighting ongoing investment in natural ingredients and perfumery research, but this is unlikely to have an immediate stock-moving impact. LMR by IFF Inaugurates New Experimental Field in Grasse
• Negative Sentiment: Some investors may worry that selling the Food Ingredients unit reduces IFF’s scale and removes a key revenue contributor, even if the move improves profitability over time. International Flavors and Fragrances nears $4 billion deal to sell food ingredients business, WSJ reports

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Berenberg Bank boosted their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $83.00 to $84.80 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Mizuho boosted their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings upgraded International Flavors & Fragrances from a “sell (d)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane upped their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $85.00 to $95.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $90.80.

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.