Updating International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., Sherwin-Williams Co. and Briggs & Stratton Corp.

Article Excerpt

INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC. $132 (www.iff.com) makes over 38,000 compounds that improve the taste of food and the smell of consumer products. In the fourth quarter of 2016, IFF’s sales rose 6.6%, to $762.6 million from $715.6 million a year earlier. Earnings per share jumped 16.2%, to $1.22 from $1.05. Those gains are partly due to the company’s recent acquisition of David Michael & Company, a Philadelphia-based maker of food flavourings. A plan to consolidate plants and cut jobs has also expanded earnings. Buy. SHERWIN-WILLIAMS CO. $310 (www.sherwin-williams.com) has extended the closing date for its acquisition of rival paint maker Valspar Corp. (New York symbol VAL) to June 21, 2017. The delay will give it time to sell some of its smaller businesses and win regulatory approval for the deal. Sherwin will pay $9.3 billion in cash for Valspar. If you include debt, the price rises to $11.3 billion. That’s equal to 39% of Sherwin’s current market cap of $29.0…