National Pension Service Trims Stock Position in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. $IFF

National Pension Service lessened its holdings in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) by 85.9% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 64,916 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 394,374 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service’s holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances were worth $4,375,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. DNB Asset Management AS increased its holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. DNB Asset Management AS now owns 53,741 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $3,622,000 after buying an additional 139 shares in the last quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances by 0.7% in the third quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC now owns 21,837 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,344,000 after buying an additional 158 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances by 6.1% in the third quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 3,021 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $186,000 after buying an additional 173 shares in the last quarter. Parr Mcknight Wealth Management Group LLC increased its holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances by 0.9% in the third quarter. Parr Mcknight Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 23,129 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,423,000 after buying an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Michigan Retirement System increased its holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 69,515 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $4,685,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.02% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at International Flavors & Fragrances

In other International Flavors & Fragrances news, Director Paul J. Fribourg acquired 142,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was bought at an average price of $70.13 per share, with a total value of $9,958,460.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 2,422,730 shares in the company, valued at approximately $169,906,054.90. The trade was a 6.23% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.07% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on IFF shares. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $85.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $75.00 to $86.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $90.49.

International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Down 2.4%

IFF stock opened at $74.23 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.70, a P/E/G ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.94. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $73.32 and a 200-day simple moving average of $71.83. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a 52 week low of $59.14 and a 52 week high of $84.45.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.17. International Flavors & Fragrances had a net margin of 7.78% and a return on equity of 7.65%. The business had revenue of $2.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.20 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 4.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 18th will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 18th. International Flavors & Fragrances’s dividend payout ratio is currently 48.93%.

International Flavors & Fragrances Company Profile

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.