IFF grows outside the media limelight

Article Excerpt

INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC. $138 (New York symbol IFF; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 79.6 million; Market cap: $11.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.6; Dividend yield: 1.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.iff.com) makes over 38,000 compounds that improve the taste of food and the smell of consumer products. IFF’s sales rose 10.8%, from $2.8 billion in 2011 to $3.1 billion in 2014. Sales then fell 2.1%, to $3.0 billion, in 2015. However, it gets 75% of its sales from overseas markets. If you exclude the negative impact of currency rates, sales rose 5% in 2015. Strong earnings record The company’s overall earnings gained 39.3%, from $306.2 million in 2011 to $426.6 million in 2015. Due to fewer shares outstanding, earnings per share rose 40.4%, from $3.74 to $5.25. In the second quarter of 2016, IFF’s sales rose 3.4%, to $793.5 million from $767.5 million a year earlier. Earnings gained 6.1%, to $117.8 million from $111.0 million; earnings per…