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International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 3 November 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 4 narrowed, 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Reported sales rose 4%: Reported net sales were $1.94 billion, up 4%. Comparable currency neutral sales rose 5%, led by broad-based growth in Scent and Taste. Source
  • Pre-tax loss on held-for-sale and impairment charges: Loss from continuing operations before taxes was $(134) million. It includes a $236 million loss on assets held for sale and a $23 million goodwill impairment on the Botanicals & Food Enhancements disposal group. Source
  • Taste sales grew broadly: Taste reported sales of $687 million. Comparable currency neutral sales rose 6%, with growth in all regions and a double-digit increase in Greater Asia. Source
  • Volumes solid; customers value R&D: Management said volumes remain solid and that customers continue to value the company's R&D and innovation. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin of 20.8%: Adjusted operating EBITDA was $403 million, a 20.8% margin. Comparable currency neutral adjusted EBITDA rose 6%, driven by volume growth. Source
  • Regulatory costs rose on fragrance matters: Regulatory costs were $34 million in the quarter, against $7 million a year earlier. They relate to provisions and legal fees for fragrance business investigations. Source
  • Operating and free cash flow higher: Nine-month cash flow from operations was $820 million, up $288 million. Free cash flow was $371 million, up $245 million, on a combined continuing and discontinued basis. Source
  • Food Ingredients sale on track: The Food Ingredients divestiture is progressing and is on track to close by the end of the second quarter of 2027. Source

“IFF delivered a solid third quarter, with improved sales and profitability across all divisions,”

Erik Fyrwald, CEO of IFF

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Sales SourceFull year 2026, continuing operations$7.5 billion to $7.6 billionNarrowed, low end up from $7.4 billion to $7.6 billion
Adjusted operating EBITDA SourceFull year 2026, continuing operations$1.55 billion to $1.60 billionNarrowed, low end up from $1.53 billion to $1.60 billion
Comparable currency neutral sales growth SourceFull year 2026, continuing operations3% to 4%Narrowed, low end up from 2% to 4%
Comparable currency neutral adjusted operating EBITDA growth SourceFull year 2026, continuing operations5% to 8%Narrowed, low end up from 4% to 8%
Foreign exchange impact on sales growth Source2026approximately 1% positive impactKept
Foreign exchange impact on adjusted operating EBITDA growth Source2026approximately 2% positive impactKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Low end of the full-year 2026 ranges raised for sales, adjusted operating EBITDA and both growth measures, supported by year-to-date performance. Source
  • Ended: CitraSource business was divested on July 1, 2026 and is excluded from comparable results. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Reported sales rose 4%: Reported net sales were $1.94 billion, up 4%. Comparable currency neutral sales rose 5%, led by broad-based growth in Scent and Taste. Source
  • Pre-tax loss on held-for-sale and impairment charges: Loss from continuing operations before taxes was $(134) million. It includes a $236 million loss on assets held for sale and a $23 million goodwill impairment on the Botanicals & Food Enhancements disposal group. Source
  • Adjusted EPS excluding amortization: Adjusted EPS excluding amortization was $0.83 per diluted share, against $0.76 a year earlier. Reported EPS was $(0.50) per diluted share. Source

Segment sales

  • Taste sales grew broadly: Taste reported sales of $687 million. Comparable currency neutral sales rose 6%, with growth in all regions and a double-digit increase in Greater Asia. Source
  • Scent sales reported at $689 million: Scent reported sales of $689 million, against $652 million a year earlier. Comparable currency neutral sales rose 6%. Source
  • Health & Biosciences sales rose modestly: Health & Biosciences reported sales of $566 million. Comparable currency neutral sales rose 1%, with growth in nearly all businesses. Source

“At the same time, we expect fourth-quarter profitability to be softer, particularly in Health & Biosciences, reflecting higher costs as well as reinvestments to strengthen the business.”

Erik Fyrwald, CEO of IFF

Products and customers

  • Fragrance lines drove Scent growth: Consumer Fragrances grew high-single digits in the quarter. Fine Fragrance, against a strong prior-year comparable, and Fragrance Ingredients each grew mid-single digits. Source
  • Food Biosciences and Grain Processing grew: Food Biosciences and Grain Processing grew mid-single digits, which more than offset a decline in the Health business. Source
  • Volumes solid; customers value R&D: Management said volumes remain solid and that customers continue to value the company's R&D and innovation. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Adjusted EBITDA margin of 20.8%: Adjusted operating EBITDA was $403 million, a 20.8% margin. Comparable currency neutral adjusted EBITDA rose 6%, driven by volume growth. Source
  • Health & Biosciences profit growth split evenly: Health & Biosciences adjusted EBITDA margin was 24.0%. Comparable currency neutral adjusted EBITDA rose 2%, split between volume and net price to input costs. Source
  • Regulatory costs rose on fragrance matters: Regulatory costs were $34 million in the quarter, against $7 million a year earlier. They relate to provisions and legal fees for fragrance business investigations. Source
  • Global Business Services reorganization expanded: The reorganization now covers customer service, supply chain and logistics, with added automation and AI work. Related costs are included in strategic initiatives costs that are excluded from adjusted results. Source

Cash, debt and shareholder returns

  • Operating and free cash flow higher: Nine-month cash flow from operations was $820 million, up $288 million. Free cash flow was $371 million, up $245 million, on a combined continuing and discontinued basis. Source
  • Net leverage at 2.75x: Net debt to credit adjusted EBITDA was 2.75x at quarter end. Total debt to trailing twelve-month net income was 34.5x. Source
  • $500 million accelerated repurchase completed: Management said the $500 million accelerated share repurchase program was recently completed. Nine-month treasury stock purchases were $584 million. Source

Strategy, divestitures and reorganization

  • Food Ingredients sale on track: The Food Ingredients divestiture is progressing and is on track to close by the end of the second quarter of 2027. Source
  • Food Ingredients and SCL shown as discontinued: The Food Ingredients and SCL disposal groups are reported as discontinued operations. Results and guidance are presented on a continuing operations basis. Source
  • Divestiture costs were $10 million: Divestiture costs were $10 million in the quarter, against $11 million a year earlier. They exclude external costs for the planned Food Ingredients divestiture. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Management expects fourth-quarter profitability to be lower, particularly in Health & Biosciences, due to higher costs and reinvestment. Source
  • Financial: The quarter includes a $236 million loss on assets held for sale tied to the Botanicals & Food Enhancements disposal group and CitraSource. Source
  • Regulatory: Legal fees and provisions tied to ongoing investigations of the fragrance businesses continue to be recorded as regulatory costs. Source
  • External: Management cited changing macroeconomic conditions and said it remains focused on what it can control. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: Management said the Food Ingredients separation is progressing well and is on track with its timeline to close. Source
  • Met: Management said the $500 million accelerated share repurchase program was recently completed. Source
  • Not stated: Management said it is delivering on the financial commitments it set out earlier this year, amid changing macroeconomic conditions. Source

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.