International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. $IFF Shares Acquired by Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc.

Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. increased its position in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) by 8.7% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 225,909 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after buying an additional 18,010 shares during the period. International Flavors & Fragrances makes up 2.0% of Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances were worth $13,902,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in International Flavors & Fragrances by 7.6% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,184 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $161,000 after buying an additional 155 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 17.3% in the 2nd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,290 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $95,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares during the period. Eastern Bank raised its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 43.9% in the 2nd quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 633 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System boosted its stake in International Flavors & Fragrances by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 69,515 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $5,113,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Central Pacific Bank Trust Division grew its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 10,900 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $671,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.02% of the company’s stock.

International Flavors & Fragrances Price Performance

Shares of NYSE IFF opened at $71.23 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.44. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a one year low of $59.14 and a one year high of $88.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.24 billion, a P/E ratio of -43.97, a PEG ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.04. The company’s fifty day moving average is $67.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is $66.82.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.03. International Flavors & Fragrances had a negative net margin of 3.72% and a positive return on equity of 8.03%. The firm had revenue of $2.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.65 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.04 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 4.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Investors of record on Friday, December 19th were issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 19th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. International Flavors & Fragrances’s dividend payout ratio is currently -98.77%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on IFF. Berenberg Bank reduced their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $78.80 to $78.30 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 29th. Wall Street Zen raised International Flavors & Fragrances from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, January 4th. Mizuho lowered their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $85.00 to $75.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Argus lowered their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $85.00 to $70.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $85.83.

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.