Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Invests $834,000 in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. $IFF

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 13,558 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock, valued at approximately $834,000.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 5.3% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 26,315 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $2,042,000 after buying an additional 1,335 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 15.7% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 3,976 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $309,000 after acquiring an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in International Flavors & Fragrances by 71.5% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 10,454 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $811,000 after acquiring an additional 4,358 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth increased its holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances by 25.5% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 7,527 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $584,000 after acquiring an additional 1,530 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in 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. 96.02% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of NYSE IFF opened at $70.06 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a 12-month low of $59.14 and a 12-month high of $84.45. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $74.49 and its 200-day moving average price is $68.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -51.14, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.99.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.85 by ($0.05). International Flavors & Fragrances had a positive return on equity of 7.67% and a negative net margin of 3.20%.The company had revenue of $2.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.52 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.97 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 4.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 20th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 20th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. International Flavors & Fragrances’s payout ratio is currently -116.79%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $84.00 to $88.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. UBS Group boosted their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $71.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Berenberg Bank dropped their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $78.30 to $77.50 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. BNP Paribas Exane cut their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $89.00 to $88.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised International Flavors & Fragrances from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, January 4th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, International Flavors & Fragrances presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $90.09.

International Flavors & Fragrances Company 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.