Legal & General Group Plc Sells 443,131 Shares of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. $IFF

Legal & General Group Plc reduced its position in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) by 28.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,108,938 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 443,131 shares during the quarter. Legal & General Group Plc’s holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances were worth $74,749,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of IFF. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 5.3% in the 1st 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 purchasing an additional 1,335 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its stake in 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 in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted 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 worth $811,000 after acquiring an additional 4,358 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its stake in International Flavors & Fragrances by 25.5% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 7,527 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $584,000 after acquiring an additional 1,530 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. 96.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at International Flavors & Fragrances

In related news, Director Paul J. Fribourg acquired 142,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $70.13 per share, for a total transaction of $9,958,460.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 2,422,730 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $169,906,054.90. This represents a 6.23% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 1.07% of the company’s stock.

International Flavors & Fragrances News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: IFF said the Food Ingredients sale to CVC is valued at roughly $4.3 billion, or about 10x EBITDA, which could help strengthen the balance sheet and support a more focused business mix. IFF Enters Into Agreement to Sell Its Food Ingredients Business to CVC
• Positive Sentiment: The company also backed its annual sales outlook, which may reassure investors that the divestiture is part of a broader profitability strategy rather than a sign of weakening demand. IFF To Sell Food Ingredients Business For $4.3 Bln, Backs Annual Sales Outlook; Pre-Market Stock Up
• Neutral Sentiment: LMR by IFF opened a new experimental field in Grasse, France, highlighting ongoing investment in natural ingredients and perfumery research, but this is unlikely to have an immediate stock-moving impact. LMR by IFF Inaugurates New Experimental Field in Grasse
• Negative Sentiment: Some investors may worry that selling the Food Ingredients unit reduces IFF’s scale and removes a key revenue contributor, even if the move improves profitability over time. International Flavors and Fragrances nears $4 billion deal to sell food ingredients business, WSJ reports

International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Performance

Shares of IFF stock opened at $76.01 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $73.20 and a 200-day moving average of $71.70. The company has a market cap of $19.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 1.49 and a quick ratio of 0.87. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a one year low of $59.14 and a one year high of $84.45.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $2.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.64 billion. International Flavors & Fragrances had a net margin of 7.78% and a return on equity of 7.65%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.20 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 4.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 18th will be issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 18th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. International Flavors & Fragrances’s dividend payout ratio is currently 48.93%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Rothschild & Co Redburn cut their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $74.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $75.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of 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 investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $90.80.

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.