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A high debt to equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
HAM:IFF'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.45 Med: 0.71 Max: 1.13
Current: 0.45
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of International Flavors & Fragrances was 1.13. The lowest was 0.45. And the median was 0.71.
HAM:IFF's Debt-to-Equity is ranked worse than 58.06% of 1421
companies
in the Chemicals industry
Industry Median: 0.36
vs HAM:IFF: 0.45
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high ROE % companies.
International Flavors & Fragrances Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
International Flavors & Fragrances Debt-to-Equity 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-Equity Chart
HAM:IFF vs LYB, DD, RPM: Debt-to-Equity Comparison
For the Specialty Chemicals subindustry, International Flavors & Fragrances's Debt-to-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-Equity 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-Equity vs Chemicals Industry
For the Chemicals industry and Basic Materials sector, International Flavors & Fragrances's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where International Flavors & Fragrances's Debt-to-Equity 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.
International Flavors & Fragrances (HAM:IFF) has a Debt-to-Equity of 0.45 as of Jun. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on International Flavors & Fragrances and its competitors. This is 37% below median its historical median of 0.71. Over the past decade, International Flavors & Fragrances' Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.45 to 1.13. According to the industry distribution chart, International Flavors & Fragrances ranks #825 out of 1421 companies in the Chemicals industry, placing it in the top 58.1%.
Is International Flavors & Fragrances' Debt-to-Equity too high?
International Flavors & Fragrances' current Debt-to-Equity of 0.45 is 37% below median its 10-year median of 0.71. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.45 to a high of 1.13. The Chemicals industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.36. International Flavors & Fragrances' value of 0.45 is 25% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, International Flavors & Fragrances ranks #825 out of 1421 companies in the Chemicals industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, International Flavors & Fragrances has a GF Score™ of 65/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does International Flavors & Fragrances' Debt-to-Equity compare to LYB and DD?
According to the Chemicals industry distribution chart, International Flavors & Fragrances ranks #825 out of 1421 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places International Flavors & Fragrances in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.36. International Flavors & Fragrances' value of 0.45 is 25% above this benchmark. Historically, International Flavors & Fragrances' own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.45 to 1.13 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.71 vs. the industry median of 0.36, 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-Equity for a Chemicals company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Chemicals companies is 0.36, based on 1,421 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. International Flavors & Fragrances's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.45 is 25% 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-Equity mean?
A high Debt-to-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on International Flavors & Fragrances and its competitors. For the Chemicals industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.36 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. International Flavors & Fragrances's current Debt-to-Equity is 0.45, which is 37% below median its own 10-year median of 0.71. 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 Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is €55.71, compared to a current price of €70.04 — trading 25.7% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 0.45, which is 37% below median its 10-year median of 0.71 and 25% above the Chemicals industry median of 0.36. International Flavors & Fragrances' overall GF Score™ is 65/100 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-Equity calculated?
Debt-to-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For International Flavors & Fragrances (HAM:IFF), the current Debt-to-Equity is 0.45 as of Jun. 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 €70.04 is trading 25.7% above its estimated GF Value™ of €55.71.
GuruFocus considers International Flavors & Fragrances to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for HAM:IFF:
Debt-to-Equity: 0.45 (37% below median its 10-year median of 0.71)
GF Value™: €55.71 vs. price of €70.04 (25.7% above fair value)
Industry Position: 25% above the Chemicals median (#825 of 1421)
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 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.
65GF Score
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Debt-to-Equity is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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