United Capital Financial Advisors LLC Buys New Shares in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. $IFF

United Capital Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 11,243 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock, valued at approximately $891,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in IFF. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new stake in International Flavors & Fragrances during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Root Financial Partners LLC lifted its stake in International Flavors & Fragrances by 97.9% in the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 554 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 274 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 55.7% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 587 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC grew 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 worth $50,000 after buying an additional 610 shares during the period. Finally, EFG International AG acquired a new stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances during the 4th quarter worth approximately $73,000. 96.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Performance

IFF opened at $87.88 on Monday. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a 1-year low of $59.14 and a 1-year high of $89.32. The company has a market cap of $22.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 80.62, a PEG ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 0.93. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $80.54 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $76.81. The company has a current ratio of 2.06, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 2.78% and a return on equity of 7.11%. The business had revenue of $1.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.62 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.15 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 3.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Flavors & Fragrances announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, August 4th that permits the company to repurchase $2.50 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the specialty chemicals company to buy up to 12.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

International Flavors & Fragrances Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 18th. International Flavors & Fragrances’s payout ratio is currently 146.79%.

Insider Transactions at International Flavors & Fragrances

In other news, insider De Mendonca Ana Paula Teles sold 5,718 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.19, for a total value of $475,680.42. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael Deveau sold 8,825 shares of the firm’s 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,199 shares in the company, valued at $444,774.45. This represents a 62.93% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 15,543 shares of company stock valued at $1,315,659 over the last ninety days. 1.07% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Vertical Research lowered shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $93.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Argus increased their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $97.00 to $105.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $91.40.

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.