INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC vs METHANEX CORPORATION, two Chemicals stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
International Flavors & Fragrances sells taste and scent ingredients written into food and consumer recipes, a book that reorders steadily even when the current 5.85% return on equity looks light after its integration years. Methanex makes methanol and earns 5.31% on equity, but its return rises and falls with one commodity price. IFF keeps a 7.68% net margin against Methanex's 4.03%, and trades at 23.63 times earnings versus 43.72. IFF pays a 2.1% dividend; Methanex none. Methanex's 26.28% free-cash yield is a one-off spike, not a run rate. Recurring recipe demand against a single-molecule price is the whole distinction.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | IFF | MEOH |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $77.51 | $48.66 |
| Market cap | $19.9B | $3.5B |
| Sector | Chemicals | Chemicals |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +19.0% | +0.5% |
| P/E | 24.0 | 44.2 |
| P/B | 1.41 | 1.29 |
| P/S | 1.85 | 0.98 |
| EV/EBITDA | 14.3 | 3.5 |
| Revenue growth | -5.6% | -4.9% |
| Gross margin | 37.1% | — |
| Operating margin | 10.0% | 12.0% |
| Net margin | 7.7% | 4.0% |
| Return on equity | 5.8% | 5.3% |
| Return on assets | 3.3% | 2.0% |
| Return on invested capital | 3.2% | 11.3% |
| FCF yield | 2.0% | 26.0% |
| Dividend yield | 2.1% | — |
| Debt / equity | 0.41 | 0.00 |
| Current ratio | 1.49 | 2.06 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 6.36 | 7.13 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 7 / 9 | 5 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.