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A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
HAM:IFF'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -106.62 Med: 4.8 Max: 8.5
Current: 3.23
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of International Flavors & Fragrances was 8.50. The lowest was -106.62. And the median was 4.80.
HAM:IFF's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked worse than 62.91% of 1235
companies
in the Chemicals industry
Industry Median: 2.15
vs HAM:IFF: 3.23
International Flavors & Fragrances (HAM:IFF) Debt-to-EBITDA Explanation
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
International Flavors & Fragrances Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
International Flavors & Fragrances Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
International Flavors & Fragrances Debt-to-EBITDA Chart
HAM:IFF vs LYB, DD, RPM: Debt-to-EBITDA Comparison
For the Specialty Chemicals subindustry, International Flavors & Fragrances's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
International Flavors & Fragrances Debt-to-EBITDA vs Chemicals Industry
For the Chemicals industry and Basic Materials sector, International Flavors & Fragrances's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where International Flavors & Fragrances's Debt-to-EBITDA falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBITDA data.
International Flavors & Fragrances (HAM:IFF) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.22 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on International Flavors & Fragrances. This is 33% below median its historical median of 4.80. According to the industry distribution chart, International Flavors & Fragrances ranks #777 out of 1235 companies in the Chemicals industry, placing it in the top 62.9%.
Is International Flavors & Fragrances' Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
International Flavors & Fragrances' current Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.22 is 33% below median its 10-year median of 4.80. The Chemicals industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.15. International Flavors & Fragrances' value of 3.22 is 49.8% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, International Flavors & Fragrances ranks #777 out of 1235 companies in the Chemicals industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, International Flavors & Fragrances has a GF Score™ of 49/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does International Flavors & Fragrances' Debt-to-EBITDA compare to LYB and DD?
According to the Chemicals industry distribution chart, International Flavors & Fragrances ranks #777 out of 1235 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places International Flavors & Fragrances in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.15. International Flavors & Fragrances' value of 3.22 is 49.8% above this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 4.80 vs. the industry median of 2.15, International Flavors & Fragrances has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-EBITDA for a Chemicals company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Chemicals companies is 2.15, based on 1,235 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. International Flavors & Fragrances's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.22 is 49.8% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on International Flavors & Fragrances. For the Chemicals industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.15 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. International Flavors & Fragrances's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.22, which is 33% below median its own 10-year median of 4.80. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is International Flavors & Fragrances stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, International Flavors & Fragrances (HAM:IFF) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is €63.21, compared to a current price of €69.24 — trading 9.5% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.22, which is 33% below median its 10-year median of 4.80 and 49.8% above the Chemicals industry median of 2.15. International Flavors & Fragrances' overall GF Score™ is 49/100 with 9 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For International Flavors & Fragrances (HAM:IFF), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.22 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is International Flavors & Fragrances (HAM:IFF) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, International Flavors & Fragrances stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of €69.24 is trading 9.5% above its estimated GF Value™ of €63.21.
GuruFocus considers International Flavors & Fragrances to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for HAM:IFF:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 3.22 (33% below median its 10-year median of 4.80)
GF Value™: €63.21 vs. price of €69.24 (9.5% above fair value)
Industry Position: 49.8% above the Chemicals median (#777 of 1235)
No single metric tells the full story. See the HAM:IFF stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
International Flavors & Fragrances Business Description
International Flavors & Fragrances is the largest specialty ingredients producer globally. It sells ingredients for the food, beverage, health, household goods, personal care, and pharmaceutical industries. The company makes proprietary formulations and partners with customers to deliver custom solutions. Through its taste and scent segments, which each generate around 25% of profits, IFF is a leading flavor and fragrance producer. The health and biosciences business, which generates 30% of profits, is a global leader in probiotics and enzymes. The remaining profits come from the food ingredients business, which sells texturants, plant-based proteins, and other ingredients, though IFF plans to divest it in a deal expected to close in 2027.
49GF Score
Get the complete analysis for HAM:IFF
Debt-to-EBITDA is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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