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International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 6 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Comparable sales rose 3%: Excluding divestitures, currency neutral sales increased 3%, with broad-based growth across all businesses. Source
  • Comparable adjusted EBITDA rose 8%: Adjusted operating EBITDA was $568 million, a 20.7% margin. Comparable currency neutral growth came from volume and productivity. Source
  • EPS $0.66 reported, $1.25 adjusted: Reported diluted EPS was $0.66, against $(3.98) a year earlier. Adjusted EPS excluding amortization was $1.25, against $1.20. Source
  • Taste profit up 18% comparable: Taste sales were $656 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $153 million, a 23.3% margin, up from 20.1% a year earlier. Source
  • Scent margin hit by input costs: Scent comparable currency neutral EBITDA fell 2%. Volume and productivity gains were more than offset by unfavorable price to input cost. Source
  • Operating cash flow up $130 million: Operating cash flow was $257 million. Capital expenditures were $165 million, leaving free cash flow of $92 million, up $144 million. Source
  • Food Ingredients sale process running: The company is running a sale process for Food Ingredients and says it aims to maximize value for shareholders. Source

“IFF is off to a solid start in 2026, with first quarter results that reflect the customer focus and operational execution we’ve been building across the company,”

Erik Fyrwald, CEO of IFF

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net sales Sourcefull year 2026$10.5 billion to $10.8 billionKept
Adjusted operating EBITDA Sourcefull year 2026$2.05 billion to $2.15 billionKept
Comparable currency neutral sales growth Sourcefull year 20261% to 4%Kept
Comparable currency neutral adjusted operating EBITDA growth Sourcefull year 20263% to 8%Kept
Foreign exchange impact Sourcefull year 2026approximately 1% positive impact on sales growth; no impact on adjusted operating EBITDA growthKept
Divestiture impact Sourcefull year 2026approximately 5% adverse impact on sales and adjusted operating EBITDA growthKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance kept: Management reaffirmed the full-year 2026 sales and adjusted operating EBITDA ranges. Source
  • Ended: The Soy Crush, Concentrates and Lecithin business divestiture closed on March 2, 2026, earlier than the April 1, 2026 date previously expected. Source
  • New: The GBS reorganization was expanded in 2026 to cover customer service, supply chain and logistics, in addition to earlier functions. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Reported sales fell 4%: Reported net sales were $2.74 billion, down 4% from the prior-year period. Comparable figures exclude divestitures, as the company defines them. Source
  • Comparable sales rose 3%: Excluding divestitures, currency neutral sales increased 3%, with broad-based growth across all businesses. Source
  • Comparable adjusted EBITDA rose 8%: Adjusted operating EBITDA was $568 million, a 20.7% margin. Comparable currency neutral growth came from volume and productivity. Source
  • Pre-tax income of $209 million: Income before taxes was $209 million, against a $994 million loss a year earlier, when a $1,153 million goodwill impairment on Food Ingredients was recorded. Source
  • EPS $0.66 reported, $1.25 adjusted: Reported diluted EPS was $0.66, against $(3.98) a year earlier. Adjusted EPS excluding amortization was $1.25, against $1.20. Source

Segment performance

  • Taste profit up 18% comparable: Taste sales were $656 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $153 million, a 23.3% margin, up from 20.1% a year earlier. Source
  • Health & Biosciences sales up 5%: Sales were $595 million, with comparable currency neutral sales up 5%. Adjusted EBITDA was $153 million, a 25.7% margin. Source
  • Scent sales and profit detail: Sales were $651 million, with comparable currency neutral sales up 1%. Adjusted EBITDA was $148 million, a 22.7% margin. Source
  • Food Ingredients profit up 12%: Sales were $839 million, with comparable currency neutral sales up 3%. Adjusted EBITDA was $114 million, a 13.6% margin. Source

“This - when combined with our solid start to the year - derisks the balance of the year and gives us the confidence to reaffirm our full-year 2026 financial guidance ranges in an uncertain environment.”

Erik Fyrwald, CEO of IFF

Products and customers

  • Fragrance lines diverged: In Scent, Consumer and Fine Fragrances grew while Fragrance Ingredients declined. Source
  • Animal Nutrition and Food Biosciences led: Health & Biosciences growth came from nearly all businesses, led by Animal Nutrition and Food Biosciences. Source
  • Pipeline work kept advancing: Management said it kept focus on advancing commercial and innovation pipelines during the quarter. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Scent margin hit by input costs: Scent comparable currency neutral EBITDA fell 2%. Volume and productivity gains were more than offset by unfavorable price to input cost. Source
  • Cost of sales and gross profit fell: Cost of sales fell 5% to $1,723 million. Gross profit fell 2% to $1,018 million. Source
  • Severance under productivity program: Restructuring and other charges were $6 million, down from $17 million, for severance under the IFF Productivity Program. Source
  • Selling costs fell to $427 million: Selling and administrative expenses were $427 million, down 7%. Excluding divestiture, strategic initiative and regulatory costs, adjusted expenses were $384 million, against $385 million. Source

Demand and volumes

  • Volume grew in all four segments: Management said volume growth was recorded in each of the four segments in the quarter. Source
  • Balance-of-year planning kept disciplined: Management said it plans the rest of the year with discipline because the operating environment remains unsettled. Source
  • Taste growth broad across regions: Taste comparable currency neutral sales growth was broad-based, with all regions contributing. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash flow up $130 million: Operating cash flow was $257 million. Capital expenditures were $165 million, leaving free cash flow of $92 million, up $144 million. Source
  • Divestiture proceeds of $198 million: Net proceeds from business disposals were $198 million in the quarter, in which the SCL business closed. Source
  • Leverage at 2.5x net debt: Net debt to credit adjusted EBITDA was 2.5x, versus 2.6x at year-end 2025. Total debt to trailing net income was 7.2x. Source
  • Dividends and treasury purchases: Dividends paid were $102 million, and treasury stock purchases were $35 million, against none a year earlier. Source

Strategy and portfolio actions

  • Food Ingredients sale process running: The company is running a sale process for Food Ingredients and says it aims to maximize value for shareholders. Source
  • AI and automation in back-office functions: Costs for automation and AI in these functions are included only to the extent they are not capitalized. Source
  • Strategic initiative costs of $9 million: Strategic initiative costs were $9 million, against $8 million, for portfolio optimization and reorganizing GBS Centers. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Volume growth Sourcegrowth in all four segments

Risks management discussed

  • External: Inflation is a cost pressure that management said it is offsetting through productivity and work with customers. Source
  • Regulatory: Ongoing fragrance business investigations drove $10 million of regulatory costs in the quarter. Source
  • Financial: Management said expected adjusted EBITDA cannot be reconciled to GAAP because of items such as divestiture and regulatory costs. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management said it reaffirmed the 2026 guidance ranges despite an uncertain environment. Source
  • Not stated: The sale process for Food Ingredients was launched in the prior quarter and is now described as ongoing.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.