INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC vs NEWMARKET CORPORATION, two Chemicals stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
NewMarket runs petroleum additives at a 23.71% return on equity and a 15.25% net margin, among the cleanest economics in the group. International Flavors & Fragrances, far larger at $19.6B, earns just 5.85% on equity with a 7.68% margin as it works through heavy integration. NewMarket converts better to cash too, a 5.87% free-cash yield against 2.04%. Both pay dividends near each other, 1.42% and 2.1%. NewMarket trades at 18.04 times earnings and 4.25 times book; IFF at 23.63 times earnings but only 1.39 times book, the cheaper asset base reflecting its thinner returns. Two ingredient specialists at opposite ends of profitability.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | IFF | NEU |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $77.51 | $762.64 |
| Market cap | $19.9B | $7.1B |
| Sector | Chemicals | Chemicals |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +19.0% | -4.1% |
| P/E | 24.0 | 17.4 |
| P/B | 1.41 | 4.10 |
| P/S | 1.85 | 2.64 |
| EV/EBITDA | 14.3 | 12.2 |
| Revenue growth | -5.6% | -3.5% |
| Gross margin | 37.1% | 33.0% |
| Operating margin | 10.0% | 21.4% |
| Net margin | 7.7% | 15.3% |
| Return on equity | 5.8% | 23.7% |
| Return on assets | 3.3% | 11.7% |
| Return on invested capital | 3.2% | 15.4% |
| FCF yield | 2.0% | 6.1% |
| Dividend yield | 2.1% | 1.5% |
| Debt / equity | 0.41 | 0.54 |
| Current ratio | 1.49 | 2.55 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 6.36 | 4.19 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 7 / 9 | 7 / 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.