40,438 Shares in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. $IFF Purchased by Empowered Funds LLC

Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm purchased 40,438 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,203,000.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in IFF. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Root Financial Partners LLC lifted its stake in International Flavors & Fragrances by 97.9% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 554 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 274 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances by 55.7% during the first 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 boosted its holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances by 884.1% during the second 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 in the last quarter. Finally, EFG International AG acquired a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances in the fourth quarter worth approximately $73,000. Institutional investors own 96.02% of the company’s stock.

International Flavors & Fragrances Trading Down 0.5%

International Flavors & Fragrances stock opened at $85.86 on Wednesday. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a 52 week low of $59.14 and a 52 week high of $89.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a current ratio of 2.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 78.77, a P/E/G ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $80.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $76.94.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) last released its earnings results 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). The business had revenue of $1.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.62 billion. International Flavors & Fragrances had a net margin of 2.78% and a return on equity of 7.11%. International Flavors & Fragrances’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.15 EPS. Research analysts forecast that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 3.08 EPS for the current year.

International Flavors & Fragrances declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, August 4th that authorizes the company to buyback $2.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the specialty chemicals company to purchase up to 12.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

International Flavors & Fragrances Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Investors of record on Friday, September 18th will be paid a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 18th. International Flavors & Fragrances’s dividend payout ratio is currently 146.79%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Marc Birenkrant sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.00, for a total value of $85,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,446 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $292,910. This represents a 22.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider De Mendonca Ana Paula Teles sold 5,718 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.19, for a total transaction of $475,680.42. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 15,543 shares of company stock worth $1,315,659. 1.07% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

IFF has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn cut their price objective on International Flavors & Fragrances from $74.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Friday, May 8th. BNP Paribas Exane lifted their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $85.00 to $95.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Vertical Research lowered International Flavors & Fragrances from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $93.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $91.40.

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.