Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC Decreases Stake in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF)

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC lessened its holdings in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) by 1.4% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 212,876 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 3,082 shares during the quarter. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC owned 0.08% of International Flavors & Fragrances worth $20,268,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in IFF. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in International Flavors & Fragrances in the first quarter valued at $27,000. Quent Capital LLC increased its holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances by 183.2% in the first quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 371 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. Family Firm Inc. acquired a new position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Principal Securities Inc. bought a new stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Finally, Fidelis Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in International Flavors & Fragrances during the first quarter worth $44,000. 96.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at International Flavors & Fragrances

In other news, insider Angela Strzelecki sold 2,588 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.66, for a total value of $247,568.08. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 8,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $816,840.74. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on IFF shares. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $108.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 12th. Stifel Nicolaus raised International Flavors & Fragrances from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the company from $95.00 to $115.00 in a report on Monday, July 22nd. UBS Group cut their price target on International Flavors & Fragrances from $107.00 to $103.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Oppenheimer initiated coverage on International Flavors & Fragrances in a research note on Friday, June 7th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $116.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, International Flavors & Fragrances has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $103.80.

International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Performance

Shares of IFF stock opened at $103.01 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.75, a current ratio of 2.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $98.32 and a 200 day simple moving average of $91.95. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $62.28 and a fifty-two week high of $105.30.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $2.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.83 billion. International Flavors & Fragrances had a negative net margin of 20.82% and a positive return on equity of 6.63%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.86 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 4.22 earnings per share for the current year.

International Flavors & Fragrances Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.55%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 20th. International Flavors & Fragrances’s dividend payout ratio is presently -16.38%.

International Flavors & Fragrances Profile

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells cosmetic active and natural health ingredients for use in various consumer products in the United States, Europe, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Nourish, Health & Biosciences, Scent, and Pharma Solutions.