UBS Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) Stock

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) had its price objective upped by investment analysts at UBS Group from $91.00 to $95.00 in a report released on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the specialty chemicals company’s stock. UBS Group‘s price target would suggest a potential upside of 14.77% from the company’s previous close.

IFF has been the subject of several other research reports. KeyCorp started coverage on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. They issued a “sector weight” rating for the company. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $95.00 to $108.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, October 25th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.05.

International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Down 4.2%

Shares of IFF stock traded down $3.58 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $82.78. The stock had a trading volume of 2,893,580 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,192,094. International Flavors & Fragrances has a 12-month low of $61.72 and a 12-month high of $95.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 2.06 and a quick ratio of 1.72. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $87.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $78.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 116.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.06 and a beta of 0.86.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 3rd. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.81 by $0.02. International Flavors & Fragrances had a return on equity of 7.11% and a net margin of 2.78%. The firm had revenue of $1.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.91 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.05 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that International Flavors & Fragrances will post 3.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Flavors & Fragrances announced that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Tuesday, August 4th that authorizes the company to repurchase $2.50 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the specialty chemicals company to purchase up to 12.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other International Flavors & Fragrances news, insider De Mendonca Ana Paula Teles sold 5,718 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.19, for a total transaction of $475,680.42. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.07% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Flavors & Fragrances

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. First Command Advisory Services Inc. grew its stake in International Flavors & Fragrances by 155.5% during the 3rd quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 396 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 241 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of 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 worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 274 shares during the last quarter. Heritage Family Offices LLP acquired a new stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances during the third quarter worth about $54,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 27.9% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 706 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Finally, Westpac Banking Corp purchased a new stake in International Flavors & Fragrances in the second quarter valued at approximately $91,000. 96.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting International Flavors & Fragrances

Here are the key news stories impacting International Flavors & Fragrances this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target to $105 from $100 and reiterated “buy,” while JPMorgan lifted its target to $95 from $92 and maintained “overweight.” Citigroup coverage JPMorgan coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays lowered its target slightly, from $105 to $103, but retained its “overweight” rating, signaling continued confidence in potential upside. Barclays recommendations
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS raised its price target from $91 to $95 but kept a “neutral” rating. UBS coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: IFF’s latest reported quarter beat estimates, with earnings of $0.83 per share versus $0.81 expected and revenue of $1.94 billion versus $1.91 billion expected. However, earnings were below the year-ago quarter’s $1.05 per share. Earnings analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America downgraded IFF from “buy” to “underperform,” despite setting a $91 price target. The rating change is the clearest negative catalyst among the recent analyst updates. Bank of America recommendations

About International Flavors & Fragrances

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc (NYSE:IFF) develops and manufactures ingredients, flavor systems, fragrances and specialty solutions used in consumer and industrial products. Its offerings support food and beverage manufacturers, fragrance and personal care companies, household-product makers, pharmaceutical businesses and other customers.

The company’s portfolio includes flavors for beverages, dairy products, sweet goods, savory foods and other applications; fragrances for fine fragrance, personal care and home care products; and functional ingredients, enzymes, cultures, natural extracts and other specialty materials.