Polymer Capital Management US LLC Purchases Shares of 24,800 International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF)

Polymer Capital Management US LLC acquired a new stake in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 24,800 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,097,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances during the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Fairway Wealth LLC acquired a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances during the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Rialto Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in International Flavors & Fragrances in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Principal Securities Inc. lifted its position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 36.6% in the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 638 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sugar Maple Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances during the 4th quarter worth approximately $78,000. 96.02% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on IFF. Argus raised shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $113.00 to $105.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Bank of America lowered their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $105.00 to $101.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $83.00 to $82.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $103.31.

International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Down 4.5 %

IFF stock opened at $73.01 on Monday. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a 52 week low of $72.82 and a 52 week high of $106.77. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $81.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $88.84. The company has a quick ratio of 1.93, a current ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The company has a market cap of $18.67 billion, a PE ratio of 77.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.21.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.83 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $2.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.67 billion. International Flavors & Fragrances had a net margin of 2.12% and a return on equity of 7.72%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 4.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 21st. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.19%. International Flavors & Fragrances’s payout ratio is 170.21%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Kevin O’byrne purchased 6,500 shares of International Flavors & Fragrances stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $80.44 per share, for a total transaction of $522,860.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 6,500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $522,860. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

International Flavors & Fragrances Company Profile

International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc engages in the manufacture and supply of flavors and fragrances used in the food, beverage, personal care, and household products industries. It operates through the following segments: Nourish, Health & Biosciences, Scent and Pharma Solutions. The Nourish segment consists of legacy Taste segment combined with N&B’s Food & Beverage division and the food protection business of N&B’s Health & Biosciences division.