Keybanc's neutral initiation adds no new conviction. With insider selling, negative EPS revisions, and elevated short interest, the risk/reward is skewed to the downside despite the bullish consensus. Wait for a clearer catalyst or a stronger signal from a high-accuracy firm before taking a position.
Price Chart
Executive Summary
Keybanc initiated coverage on International Flavors & Fragrances Inc (IFF) at Sector Weight with no price target, a neutral stance that aligns with the consensus. The firm has a 52% accuracy rate on 1,560 calls and an average return of 3.3%, placing it in the middle of the pack. The broader consensus is bullish: 18 of 25 analysts rate it Buy (72%), 7 Hold (28%), and 0 Sell. The mean price target is $95.66, implying 13.8% upside from the current $84.05, with a high of $105 and a low of $76. Momentum is mixed — 1 upgrade and 0 downgrades in 30 days, but EPS revisions are overwhelmingly negative (14 down vs 0 up for the current fiscal year). Insider selling is notable, with three executives selling over $1.3M in August, diverging from the bullish analyst consensus. Institutional activity is mixed: Amundi added heavily (+87.6%), while Citadel nearly exited (-90%). Short interest is elevated at 74.9% of TRF volume, suggesting bearish positioning. The neutral initiation from a mid-accuracy firm adds little conviction; traders should watch for a clearer catalyst before taking a directional bet.
Impact Score
Consensus & Targets
The consensus is bullish: 7 Strong Buy, 11 Buy, 7 Hold, 0 Sell, 0 Strong Sell across 25 analysts. 72% of analysts rate it Buy, 28% Hold — no Sell ratings. Keybanc's Sector Weight is in line with the Hold camp, below the bullish consensus.
Current price: $84.05. Mean target: $95.66 (13.8% upside). Median: $95.50. High: $105 (24.9% upside). Low: $76 (9.6% downside). Keybanc did not set a price target, so their view sits below the consensus mean.
Recent Analyst Activity
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Price Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-11 | Keybanc | initiate | Sector Weight | — |
| 2026-08-07 | Barclays | maintain | Overweight | $96.00 |
| 2026-08-06 | UBS | maintain | Neutral | $91.00 |
| 2026-08-06 | Benchmark | maintain | Buy | $105.00 |
| 2026-07-01 | Morgan Stanley | maintain | Overweight | $95.00 |
| 2026-06-30 | Argus Research | maintain | Buy | $85.00 |
| 2026-06-24 | Citigroup | maintain | Buy | $88.00 |
| 2026-06-09 | Benchmark | initiate | Buy | $100.00 |
| 2026-05-08 | Barclays | maintain | Overweight | $90.00 |
| 2026-05-07 | Citigroup | maintain | Buy | $96.00 |
30-day analyst activity: 1 upgrade, 0 downgrades. EPS revisions are bearish: for the current fiscal year, 14 revisions down vs 0 up; for the next quarter, 11 down vs 1 up. Estimates are being revised lower across all periods, a negative signal that diverges from the bullish consensus.
Firm Track Record — Keybanc
Keybanc accuracy: 52% on 1560 calls | avg return: 3.3%
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 |
Keybanc has a 52% accuracy rate on 1,560 calls with a 3.3% average return, ranking near the middle of firms covering IFF. The best-performing firm on IFF is Mizuho (75% on 4 calls), followed by Stifel (60% on 5). The worst is JP Morgan (0% on 5, avg return -5.4%) and Baird (0% on 2, avg return -7.5%). Keybanc's neutral initiation carries less weight than a call from a top-tier firm.
Earnings Estimates
| Period | EPS Est. | EPS Range | Revenue | Revisions (7d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| +1q | $0.67 | $0.35 — $1.05 | $1.8B | ↑1 ↓0 |
| 0y | $3.28 | $2.50 — $4.56 | $7.6B | ↑0 ↓0 |
| 0q | $0.81 | $0.60 — $1.03 | $1.9B | ↑0 ↓0 |
| +1y | $3.96 | $2.92 — $5.27 | $7.8B | ↑1 ↓0 |
Cross-Platform Signals
Insider trades: three sales totaling ~$1.3M in August 2026 by executives (Teles de Mendonca, Birenkrant, DeVeau). No insider buys. This selling diverges from the bullish consensus and adds caution. Institutional changes: Amundi added +87.6% ($105M), a strong bullish signal; but Citadel nearly exited (-90%), Corient trimmed -51.3%, and Integrated Wealth trimmed -54.3%. Short interest is elevated at 74.9% of TRF volume, indicating heavy bearish positioning. The divergence between insider selling, institutional trimming, and the bullish analyst consensus creates a mixed picture.
Investment Themes
Documents Analyzed
Report based on filing metadata.
Filters
| Type | Now | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sep 11, 2026 21d ago | ANALYST-UPGRADE | $83.61 $82.96 | ▼ −0.78% | ▼ −0.56% | $83.06 (−0.66%) |
Aug 10, 2026 7w ago | Insider Cluster | $85.00 $81.00 | ▼ −4.71% | ▼ −4.30% | $83.06 (−2.28%) |
Jul 20, 2026 10w ago | Press Release | $76.26 $76.40 | ▲ +0.18% | ▲ +1.41% | $83.06 (+8.92%) |
Jun 23, 2026 14w ago | 8-K | $75.83 $81.15 | ▲ +7.02% | ▲ +5.31% | $83.06 (+9.53%) |
Jun 9, 2026 16w ago | ANALYST-UPGRADE | $75.78 $78.36 | ▲ +3.40% | ▲ +0.99% | $83.06 (+9.61%) |
Jun 1, 2026 17w ago | 8-K | $74.26 $73.01 | ▼ −1.68% | ▲ +1.07% | $83.06 (+11.85%) |
Mar 18, 2026 28w ago | DEFA14A | $67.91 $70.71 | ▲ +4.12% | ▲ +4.84% | $83.06 (+22.31%) |
Mar 12, 2026 29w ago | Insider Cluster | $69.60 $67.73 | ▼ −2.69% | ▼ −1.71% | $83.06 (+19.34%) |
US Market Status
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