Emerging markets spur IFF’s earnings

Article Excerpt

INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC. $82 (New York symbol IFF; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 81.5 million; Market cap: $6.7 billion; Priceto- sales ratio: 2.4; Dividend yield: 1.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.iff.com) produces compounds that improve the taste of food and make consumer products smell better. The company continues to expand in fast-growing markets like China, India and Turkey. Strong sales in these countries increased IFF’s overall sales by 2.4% in the quarter ended March 31, 2013, to $727.8 million from $710.6 million a year earlier. If you disregard unfavourable exchange rates and products that IFF has discontinued, sales would have risen 4%. The higher sales pushed up per-share earnings by 19.0%, to $1.19 from $1.00. IFF is a buy. buy…