IFF
International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. Basic Materials - Specialty Chemicals Investor Relations →
International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF) closed at $74.82 as of 2026-02-02, trading 10.0% below its 200-week moving average of $83.17. This places IFF in the extreme value zone. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from -16.2% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 68, indicating neutral momentum.
Over the past 2620 weeks of data, IFF has crossed below its 200-week moving average 37 times. On average, these episodes lasted 20 weeks. Historically, investors who bought IFF at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +0.8%.
With a market cap of $19.2 billion, IFF is a large-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 17.9%, which is notably high. Return on equity stands at -3.2%. The stock trades at 1.4x book value.
Over the past 33.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in IFF would have grown to $473, compared to $2849 for the S&P 500. IFF has returned 4.8% annualized vs 10.6% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
In the past 12 months, corporate insiders have made 10 open-market purchases totaling $8,206,367. Multiple insiders purchased within a 30-day window — a cluster buy pattern that historically signals management confidence in the company's prospects. Notably, these purchases occurred while IFF is trading below its 200-week moving average — insiders are buying when the market is most pessimistic.
Free cash flow has been declining at a -16.7% compound annual rate. A deteriorating cash flow trend warrants extra scrutiny — the stock may be cheap for a reason.
Growth of $100: IFF vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After IFF Crosses Below the Line?
Across 23 historical episodes, buying IFF when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of -2.7% after 12 months (median -10.0%), compared to +12.9% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 43% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +7.0% vs +25.7% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment IFF crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
IFF has crossed below its 200-week MA 37 times with an average 1-year return of +0.8% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1975 | May 1978 | 127 | 24.7% | -18.2% | +3370.2% |
| May 1978 | May 1978 | 1 | 0.5% | -3.4% | +3619.8% |
| Oct 1978 | Nov 1978 | 3 | 6.6% | -8.6% | +3829.4% |
| Jan 1979 | Feb 1979 | 3 | 2.6% | -8.7% | +3690.7% |
| Apr 1979 | Apr 1979 | 2 | 0.8% | -10.1% | +3683.9% |
| May 1979 | Aug 1979 | 14 | 7.7% | +9.7% | +3911.8% |
| Oct 1979 | May 1980 | 31 | 18.2% | +17.5% | +3860.4% |
| Jun 1980 | Jun 1980 | 1 | 0.0% | +6.5% | +3809.2% |
| Nov 1980 | Nov 1980 | 1 | 2.7% | +9.4% | +3867.9% |
| Dec 1980 | Dec 1980 | 1 | 1.8% | +4.8% | +3818.3% |
| Feb 1981 | Mar 1981 | 6 | 6.5% | -1.8% | +3872.5% |
| May 1981 | May 1981 | 1 | 1.2% | +5.7% | +3726.9% |
| Jul 1981 | Oct 1981 | 15 | 6.8% | +14.4% | +3686.5% |
| Dec 1981 | May 1982 | 19 | 10.8% | +60.1% | +3862.6% |
| Apr 1997 | Apr 1997 | 3 | 3.4% | +16.0% | +270.9% |
| Jan 1998 | Feb 1998 | 4 | 4.2% | +2.4% | +237.0% |
| Jun 1998 | Dec 1998 | 27 | 25.3% | +0.2% | +226.3% |
| Jan 1999 | May 1999 | 20 | 18.5% | -11.5% | +226.3% |
| Jun 1999 | Jun 1999 | 1 | 2.7% | -26.9% | +237.6% |
| Aug 1999 | Jan 2002 | 128 | 57.8% | -35.7% | +230.1% |
| Jul 2002 | Aug 2002 | 3 | 6.6% | +8.9% | +346.4% |
| Oct 2005 | Jan 2006 | 11 | 4.3% | +26.6% | +257.3% |
| Jan 2006 | Feb 2006 | 4 | 2.3% | +51.7% | +248.4% |
| Jun 2008 | Aug 2008 | 8 | 1.4% | -16.9% | +180.1% |
| Aug 2008 | Sep 2008 | 2 | 0.4% | -7.3% | +178.5% |
| Sep 2008 | Oct 2009 | 53 | 34.4% | +0.4% | +194.1% |
| Oct 2009 | Nov 2009 | 1 | 0.8% | +34.7% | +183.3% |
| Mar 2019 | Mar 2019 | 2 | 0.2% | -10.5% | -27.8% |
| Aug 2019 | Nov 2019 | 13 | 16.3% | +6.2% | -27.4% |
| Dec 2019 | Jan 2020 | 4 | 4.1% | -4.5% | -28.0% |
| Feb 2020 | May 2020 | 10 | 22.4% | +16.2% | -26.6% |
| Jun 2020 | Feb 2021 | 34 | 18.9% | +19.5% | -31.2% |
| Feb 2022 | Mar 2022 | 2 | 6.6% | -21.8% | -32.3% |
| Apr 2022 | May 2022 | 5 | 3.8% | -24.0% | -33.1% |
| Jun 2022 | Aug 2024 | 116 | 44.1% | -35.3% | -33.4% |
| Sep 2024 | Oct 2024 | 3 | 2.0% | -36.7% | -24.5% |
| Oct 2024 | Ongoing | 68+ | 32.5% | Ongoing | -24.2% |
| Average | 20 | — | +0.8% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02