IFF
Basic MaterialsInternational Flavors & Fragrances Inc. · Chemicals - Specialty · $19B
What is International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.?
International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. is a large-cap specialty ingredients company serving consumer goods manufacturers across food, beverage, personal care, and pharmaceutical markets worldwide. Headquartered in New York City, IFF operates across four distinct business segments.
IFF creates and supplies flavor compounds, fragrance ingredients, cosmetic actives, and health-focused specialty ingredients to manufacturers of consumer products globally. Its four segments — Nourish, Scent, Health & Biosciences, and Pharma Solutions — each serve different end markets. Revenue is generated by selling proprietary formulations and functional ingredients to producers of food, beverages, perfumes, personal care products, detergents, and pharmaceutical excipients. The company operates across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Greater Asia, North America, and Latin America.
The company was established in 1974 and is headquartered in New York City, US.
- Flavor compounds and savory solutions for food and beverage manufacturers
- Fine fragrance and consumer fragrance compounds for personal care
- Cosmetic active ingredients, botanicals, and delivery systems
- Enzymes, probiotics, and food cultures for health applications
- Cellulosic and seaweed-based excipients for pharmaceutical use
Is IFF a Good Stock to Buy?
UQS Score rates IFF as Poor overall, placing it among the lower-ranked names in the Basic Materials sector.
The Valuation pillar carries a Neutral label, which suggests the market has already priced in much of the company's current challenges — a relative point of stability within an otherwise weak profile.
The Quality, Moat, Growth, and Risk pillars all carry Weak labels, reflecting broad fundamental headwinds across profitability, competitive positioning, growth trajectory, and balance sheet risk.
Pro members can see the exact pillar breakdown and the underlying financial metrics driving each label — sign up at uqs-score.com to access the full IFF analysis. Sign up free →
Past performance does not guarantee future results. UQS Score is based on fundamental data and is not a buy/sell recommendation.
Does IFF pay dividends?
Yes — International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. pays a dividend.
IFF pays a regular dividend, which may appeal to income-focused investors even as the company navigates a challenging fundamental period. The dividend reflects a long-standing commitment to returning capital to shareholders. However, given the Weak Risk and Quality pillar ratings, investors should weigh dividend sustainability carefully against the company's broader financial health before relying on it as a primary income source.
When does IFF report earnings?
International Flavors & Fragrances reports earnings on a quarterly cadence, typical for US-listed large-cap equities.
IFF's recent results reflect the pressures visible across its UQS pillar profile — weak quality and growth indicators suggest the company has faced margin and revenue headwinds across multiple segments. Execution across the Nourish and Health & Biosciences segments remains a key area of investor focus.
For the most recent quarter's results and upcoming reporting dates, visit International Flavors & Fragrances' official investor relations page.
IFF Price History
-41.5% over 5Y
Monthly close, adjusted for stock splits and dividend reinvestment.
What if I invested in International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.?
Based on International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.'s historical closing prices, adjusted for stock splits and dividend reinvestment. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice.
IFF Long-term Outlook
The combination of Weak Growth and Weak Risk pillar labels points to a challenging near-term fundamental outlook for IFF. The company faces pressure to stabilize margins, manage its debt load, and demonstrate organic growth across its four segments. A Neutral Valuation label suggests the stock is not obviously expensive relative to its current fundamentals, but a meaningful re-rating would likely require visible improvement in quality and growth metrics.
Growth drivers
- Recovery in consumer demand for flavors and fragrances across food and personal care end markets
- Expansion of health-focused ingredients such as probiotics and enzymes as wellness trends persist
- Portfolio simplification and cost discipline that could improve profitability over time
Key risks
- Elevated debt levels that constrain financial flexibility and amplify downside risk
- Competitive pressure from larger diversified chemical peers and niche specialty ingredient players
- Continued weakness in organic volume growth across key segments like Nourish and Pharma Solutions
IFF vs Peers
IFF competes within the broader specialty chemicals and materials space alongside diversified industrial and chemical companies.
DuPont focuses on high-performance materials and specialty chemicals across electronics, water, and industrial markets, with a broader industrial end-market mix than IFF's consumer-facing ingredient focus.
LyondellBasell is a large-scale petrochemical and polymer producer, operating at a different point in the value chain with commodity-oriented exposure compared to IFF's specialty formulation model.
Albemarle is primarily known for its lithium and specialty chemicals businesses, making it more exposed to battery and energy storage markets than IFF's consumer ingredient segments.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does International Flavors & Fragrances do?
IFF manufactures and sells specialty ingredients used in consumer products worldwide. Its four segments — Nourish, Scent, Health & Biosciences, and Pharma Solutions — supply flavor compounds, fragrance ingredients, cosmetic actives, enzymes, probiotics, and pharmaceutical excipients to manufacturers across food, beverage, personal care, and pharma industries.
Does IFF pay dividends?
Yes, IFF pays a regular dividend. The company has maintained a dividend program as part of its capital return strategy. Given the current Weak Risk and Quality pillar ratings, investors focused on income should review the company's payout sustainability alongside its broader financial profile before drawing conclusions.
When does IFF report earnings?
International Flavors & Fragrances reports on a quarterly cadence, in line with standard US-listed large-cap practice. For confirmed reporting dates and the most recent quarterly results, refer to the investor relations section of IFF's official website.
Is IFF a good stock to buy?
UQS Score rates IFF as Poor overall, driven by Weak labels across Quality, Moat, Growth, and Risk pillars. The Valuation pillar is Neutral, which tempers some downside concern, but the broad fundamental weakness makes this a stock that warrants careful scrutiny. Pro members can view the full pillar breakdown at uqs-score.com.
Is IFF overvalued?
The UQS Valuation pillar for IFF carries a Neutral label, suggesting the stock is not obviously stretched relative to its current fundamentals. However, a Neutral valuation rating in the context of Weak Quality and Growth pillars does not necessarily signal an attractive entry point — it simply means the market appears to have adjusted expectations accordingly.
How does IFF compare to its competitors?
Compared to peers like DuPont, LyondellBasell, and Albemarle, IFF occupies a distinct niche in consumer-facing specialty ingredients rather than industrial chemicals or commodity materials. Its diversified segment structure gives it broad end-market exposure, though its current UQS pillar profile places it below many sector peers on quality and growth dimensions.
What is IFF's market cap bracket?
IFF is classified as a large-cap company, reflecting its significant scale as a global specialty ingredients manufacturer operating across more than four continents and serving major consumer goods producers worldwide.
Who founded International Flavors & Fragrances?
IFF was established in 1974. The company's founding history and leadership lineage are publicly documented and available through the company's official corporate history resources and widely available public records.
Is IFF a long-term quality investment?
As a long-term quality indicator, IFF's current UQS profile raises meaningful questions. With Weak labels across Quality, Moat, Growth, and Risk pillars, the company would need to demonstrate sustained improvement across these dimensions before the profile supports a strong long-term quality case. The full analysis is available to Pro members at uqs-score.com.
What is the main competitive advantage of IFF?
IFF's competitive positioning rests on its proprietary formulation expertise, broad ingredient portfolio, and long-standing customer relationships across the food, fragrance, and personal care industries. However, the UQS Moat pillar currently carries a Weak label, indicating that these advantages may not be translating into durable financial outperformance relative to peers at this time.
What sector does IFF belong to?
IFF is classified within the Basic Materials sector, reflecting its role as a manufacturer of specialty chemical and biological ingredients. Within that sector, it occupies a specialty niche focused on consumer-facing applications rather than commodity or industrial chemical production.
Is IFF a growth stock or value stock?
Based on its UQS pillar profile, IFF does not fit cleanly into either category at present. The Growth pillar carries a Weak label, ruling out a straightforward growth classification. The Valuation pillar is Neutral rather than Attractive, which means it does not present a clear value signal either. It currently sits in a transitional position within the [Basic Materials sector](/sector/basic-materials).
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Pro Analysis
IFF — Score History
| Date | UQS | Quality | Moat | Growth | Risk | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2026 | 39.1 | 33.8 | 39.0 | 28.4 | 48.3 | 53.4 | +0.8 |
| May 11, 2026 | 38.3 | 33.3 | 39.0 | 26.3 | 48.3 | 51.2 | +10.0 |
| May 7, 2026 | 28.3 | 10.0 | 39.0 | 26.5 | 29.8 | 42.2 | -0.5 |
| May 3, 2026 | 28.8 | 10.0 | 39.0 | 26.5 | 29.8 | 45.1 | 0.0 |
| May 1, 2026 | 28.8 | 10.0 | 39.0 | 26.5 | 29.8 | 45.0 | 0.0 |
| Apr 26, 2026 | 28.8 | 10.0 | 39.0 | 26.6 | 29.8 | 45.0 | +0.2 |
| Apr 21, 2026 | 28.6 | 10.0 | 39.0 | 26.8 | 29.8 | 43.8 | -0.1 |
| Apr 19, 2026 | 28.7 | 10.0 | 39.0 | 26.9 | 29.8 | 43.9 | -0.2 |
| Apr 18, 2026 | 28.9 | 10.0 | 39.0 | 26.9 | 29.8 | 45.1 | -1.7 |
| Apr 14, 2026 | 30.6 | 10.1 | 39.0 | 26.9 | 29.8 | 56.4 | +0.1 |
IFF — Pillar Breakdown
Quality
— 33.6/100 (25%)International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. currently shows below-average quality metrics, suggesting challenges with profitability.
How effectively capital is deployed to generate returns.
Profitability relative to shareholders' equity.
Ability to convert revenue into operating profit.
Bottom-line profit as a share of revenue.
Asset productivity — how much gross profit each dollar of assets generates.
Free cash flow relative to market value.
Growth
— 28.4/100 (20%)International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. faces growth headwinds with declining or stagnant revenue trends.
Revenue trajectory over the last twelve months.
Compound annual revenue growth rate over 3 years.
Year-over-year earnings per share growth.
Analyst consensus for future revenue growth.
Analyst consensus for future earnings growth.
Risk
— 48.3/100 (15%)International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has some risk factors including moderate leverage or solvency concerns.
Debt levels relative to earnings capacity.
Total debt relative to shareholder equity.
Short-term liquidity — ability to pay near-term obligations.
Earnings capacity relative to interest payments.
Valuation
— 53.4/100 (15%)International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a mixed valuation — some metrics suggest fair value while others appear stretched.
Inverse of forward P/E — higher yield means cheaper stock.
How many years of FCF the market cap represents.
P/E relative to earnings growth — lower is more attractive.
Enterprise value multiple relative to sector median.
Moat
— 39/100 (25%)International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. possesses some competitive advantages but faces meaningful competition. The Moat pillar evaluates competitive advantages across five dimensions: Switching Costs, Network Effects, Cost Advantage, Intangible Assets, and Scale & Ecosystem. Sign in to customize moat ratings for IFF.
Score Composition
Financial Data
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How is the IFF UQS Score Calculated?
The UQS (Unified Quality Score) for International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. is calculated using a proprietary 6-pillar framework with 29 financial metrics. Each pillar evaluates a different dimension on a 0–100 scale, then combines into a single weighted score. Scoring thresholds are calibrated per sector. Momentum is an optional Pro toggle — without it, you get the 5-pillar / 25-metric core shown below.
Quality (25%) measures profitability and capital efficiency — ROIC, ROE, margins, GP/Assets, and FCF Yield.
Moat (25%) assesses International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.'s competitive advantages across switching costs, network effects, cost advantages, intangible assets, and ecosystem scale.
Growth (20%) tracks revenue trajectory and earnings momentum, combining historical results with analyst forward estimates.
Risk (15%) is inversely scored — lower leverage and strong balance sheet health result in higher scores.
Valuation (15%) measures whether International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. is fairly priced using earnings yield, price-to-FCF, PEG ratio, and EV/EBITDA relative to sector peers.
Six investor-inspired presets are available, each with different pillar weights: Balanced, Buffett, Munger, Lynch, Cathie Wood, and Graham. The public score shown here uses the Balanced preset. Learn more in our FAQ.