IFF INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC
Price Chart
Executive Summary
Oppenheimer upgraded International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) from Perform to Outperform on February 13, setting a $97 price target. The call is part of a cluster of 11 firms acting on IFF simultaneously, including Barclays, Mizuho, and Morgan Stanley. Oppenheimer's track record is below average at 40% accuracy on 5 calls with a -3.9% average return. Consensus stands overwhelmingly bullish: 76% Buy/Strong Buy (19 of 25 analysts), 24% Hold, and zero Sell. The mean PT is $91.58, median $92, with a high of $105 and low of $71. At $76.79, IFF trades at a 19% discount to the mean target. Momentum is mixed — near-term EPS estimates have been revised down (9 cuts vs 1 raise over 30 days for the current quarter), but full-year FY0 and FY1 estimates are being raised (10 and 12 upgrades vs 3 downgrades). Insider buying is a standout signal: CEO Fyrwald and Chairman Fribourg purchased ~$2M combined in March, strongly aligned with the upgrade. Short interest is an extreme 58% of float. Institutional flows are split — Norges Bank opened a $113M position while Renaissance exited. Bottom line: the analyst cluster and insider buying converge bullishly amid extreme shorts, creating a potential squeeze narrative.
Impact Score
Consensus & Targets
Consensus is heavily bullish: 7 Strong Buy, 12 Buy, 6 Hold, 0 Sell, and 0 Strong Sell across 25 analysts. That equates to 76% Buy/Strong Buy and 24% Hold, with no bearish voices. The consensus direction is clearly positive.
The current price of $76.79 implies 19.3% upside to the mean PT of $91.58. The median PT is $92, the high is $105, and the low is $71. Oppenheimer's $97 target sits above the mean and median, in the upper third of the range.
Recent Analyst Activity
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Price Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-08 | Barclays | maintain | Overweight | $90.00 |
| 2026-05-07 | Citigroup | maintain | Buy | $96.00 |
| 2026-05-07 | JP Morgan | maintain | Overweight | $92.00 |
| 2026-05-07 | Oppenheimer | maintain | Outperform | $90.00 |
| 2026-04-22 | Oppenheimer | maintain | Outperform | $88.00 |
| 2026-04-14 | Barclays | maintain | Overweight | $80.00 |
| 2026-04-13 | Citigroup | maintain | Buy | $90.00 |
| 2026-04-09 | UBS | maintain | Neutral | $75.00 |
| 2026-02-17 | Barclays | maintain | Overweight | $91.00 |
| 2026-02-17 | Mizuho | maintain | Outperform | $92.00 |
Over the past 30 days, there have been 0 upgrades and 0 downgrades in analyst ratings. EPS revision trends are mixed: current-quarter estimates have been cut 9 times vs 1 raise, and next-quarter estimates similarly cut 9 vs 1 raise. However, full-year FY0 and FY1 estimates have been revised up 10 and 12 times vs 3 downgrades each, indicating near-term caution but long-term optimism.
Firm Track Record — Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer accuracy: 52% on 1809 calls | avg return: 3.6%
Industry benchmark: mean 51% ± 11%. Top tier: ≥61% (mean + 1σ). Based on 13 firms with ≥5 scored calls.
| Firm | Accuracy | Calls | Avg Return | vs Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mizuho | 75% | 3/4 | 0% | top tier |
| Stifel | 60% | 3/5 | -1.9% | above average |
| Citigroup | 57% | 4/7 | 3.5% | above average |
| Morgan Stanley | 57% | 4/7 | 2.9% | above average |
| Argus Research | 50% | 1/2 | -1.5% | below average |
| Tigress Financial | 50% | 1/2 | -4.8% | below average |
| Oppenheimer | 40% | 2/5 | -3.9% | below average |
| UBS | 38% | 3/8 | 0.5% | below average |
| B of A Securities | 33% | 1/3 | 3.9% | below average |
| Wells Fargo | 33% | 2/6 | 1.6% | below average |
Oppenheimer has a 40% accuracy rate on 5 rated calls with an average return of -3.9%, placing it below average among covering firms. The best-performing firm is Mizuho (75% on 4 calls, 0% avg return), followed by Stifel (60% on 5, -1.9%). The worst are JP Morgan and Baird, both at 0% accuracy (5 and 2 calls respectively).
Earnings Estimates
| Period | EPS Est. | EPS Range | Revenue | Revisions (7d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0q | $1.12 | $1.05 — $1.14 | $2.7B | ↑2 ↓0 |
| +1q | $1.14 | $1.07 — $1.23 | $2.7B | ↑3 ↓0 |
| +1y | $4.87 | $4.50 — $5.42 | $11.1B | ↑12 ↓0 |
| 0y | $4.48 | $4.25 — $4.71 | $10.7B | ↑10 ↓0 |
Cross-Platform Signals
Insider activity strongly supports the bullish upgrade: CEO J. Erik Fyrwald and Chairman Paul J. Fribourg made combined purchases of ~$2M in March 2026. These are large, cluster buys from C-suite, which per academic literature are strongly predictive. Institutional flows show Norges Bank opening a $113M position while Renaissance Technologies fully exited. Short interest is extreme at 58% of float, indicating heavy bearish positioning that could fuel a squeeze on positive news. No congressional trades were recorded. The insider buys and analyst upgrade converge bullish; the extreme short interest is a high-risk, high-reward factor.
Actionable Insight
Traders should view the insider buying and analyst cluster as a strong bullish signal, especially with short interest near 58%. A near-term catalyst (e.g., earnings beat or guidance raise) could trigger a sharp squeeze. Long positions with tight stops are warranted, but watch for near-term EPS revision risk.
Documents Analyzed
Report based on filing metadata.
Filters
| Type | Now | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Jun 9, 2026
5d ago
|
ANALYST-UPGRADE
| $74.65 awaiting T+5 | awaiting T+5 | — | $78.27 (+4.85%) |
|
Jun 1, 2026
13d ago
|
8-K
| $74.26 $73.01 | ▼ −1.68% | ▲ +1.07% | $78.27 (+5.40%) |
|
May 16, 2026
29d ago
|
ANALYST-UPGRADE
| $82.51 $81.76 | ▼ −0.92% | ▼ −1.01% | $78.27 (−5.14%) |
|
Apr 16, 2026
8w ago
|
ANALYST-UPGRADE
| $72.06 $70.94 | ▼ −1.55% | ▼ −2.54% | $78.27 (+8.62%) |
|
Mar 18, 2026
12w ago
|
DEFA14A
| $67.91 $70.71 | ▲ +4.12% | ▲ +4.84% | $78.27 (+15.26%) |
|
Mar 12, 2026
13w ago
|
Insider Cluster
| $69.60 $67.73 | ▼ −2.69% | ▼ −1.71% | $78.27 (+12.46%) |
US Market Status
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