IFF aims to cut its debt

Article Excerpt

INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC. $104 is a buy. The maker of compounds that improve the taste of food and the smell of consumer products (New York symbol IFF; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 255.7 million; Market cap: $26.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.4; Dividend yield: 1.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.iff.com) continues to sell less-important assets to pay down its long-term debt; that debt totalled $8.60 billion as of June 30, 2024, which is equal to 32% of the company’s market cap. Under that plan, IFF recently sold its Cosmetic Ingredients business for $841 million. It has also agreed to sell its Pharma Solutions business, which makes ingredients for pharmaceutical firms, for $2.85 billion. The company expects to complete that sale in 2025. IFF is a buy. buy…