International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the sixteen ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $101.80.

Several equities analysts have commented on IFF shares. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $100.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $108.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Stifel Nicolaus raised shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $95.00 to $115.00 in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $107.00 to $103.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 15th.

International Flavors & Fragrances Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:IFF opened at $97.89 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $96.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $89.97. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. International Flavors & Fragrances has a 12-month low of $62.28 and a 12-month high of $101.89. The company has a market cap of $25.00 billion, a P/E ratio of -10.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.26.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.15. International Flavors & Fragrances had a negative net margin of 22.01% and a positive return on equity of 5.78%. The business had revenue of $2.89 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.83 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.86 earnings per share. International Flavors & Fragrances’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that International Flavors & Fragrances will post 3.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 9th. Investors of record on Friday, September 20th will be paid a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.63%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 20th. International Flavors & Fragrances’s payout ratio is presently -16.38%.

Insider Activity at International Flavors & Fragrances

In related news, insider Angela Strzelecki sold 2,588 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.66, for a total value of $247,568.08. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 8,539 shares in the company, valued at $816,840.74. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances in the first quarter worth about $27,000. Quent Capital LLC raised its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 183.2% in the first quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 371 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. Family Firm Inc. acquired a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances in the second quarter worth about $38,000. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances in the fourth quarter worth about $43,000. Finally, Fidelis Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances during the first quarter worth approximately $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.02% of the company’s stock.

About International Flavors & Fragrances

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells cosmetic active and natural health ingredients for use in various consumer products in the United States, Europe, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Nourish, Health & Biosciences, Scent, and Pharma Solutions.