International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. $IFF Shares Acquired by Swiss National Bank

Swiss National Bank increased its position in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) by 7.0% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 751,599 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after purchasing an additional 49,200 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances were worth $54,529,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 274 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 55.7% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 587 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC raised its position 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 acquiring an additional 610 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its stake in International Flavors & Fragrances by 42.8% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 798 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 239 shares during the last quarter. 96.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at International Flavors & Fragrances

In other news, Director Paul J. Fribourg purchased 260,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The shares were bought at an average price of $74.28 per share, for a total transaction of $19,312,800.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 2,682,730 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $199,273,184.40. This trade represents a 10.73% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.07% of the company’s stock.

International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Performance

IFF stock opened at $76.22 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.31, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.93. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a 1 year low of $59.14 and a 1 year high of $84.45. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $76.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $74.50.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 analyst estimates of $2.64 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.20 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 4.55 EPS for the current year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on IFF. Benchmark initiated coverage on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $100.00 target price for the company. BNP Paribas Exane raised their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $85.00 to $95.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $96.00 to $88.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Argus raised their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $91.16.

International Flavors & Fragrances 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.