INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC vs RPM International Inc.. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
RPM International earns 21.15% on equity from specialty coatings and sealants, no net debt, a 4.55 times book multiple that reflects the returns. International Flavors & Fragrances earns 5.85% on equity in flavors and fragrances and trades at 1.39 times book, the discount tracking its post-merger repair. RPM's 8.63% net margin edges IFF's 7.68%, and RPM converts far better to cash, a 4.01% free-cash yield against 2.04%. Both pay dividends, RPM 1.12% and IFF 2.1%. RPM trades at 21.67 times earnings, IFF at 23.63. Both sell into recurring formulated demand, but RPM is compounding cleanly while IFF is still climbing back.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | IFF | RPM |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $77.51 | $105.13 |
| Market cap | $19.9B | $13.4B |
| Sector | Chemicals | Specialty Chemicals |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +19.0% | — |
| P/E | 24.0 | 20.3 |
| P/B | 1.41 | 4.26 |
| P/S | 1.85 | 1.74 |
| EV/EBITDA | 14.3 | 254.9 |
| Revenue growth | -5.6% | +5.9% |
| Gross margin | 37.1% | 39.5% |
| Operating margin | 10.0% | — |
| Net margin | 7.7% | 8.6% |
| Return on equity | 5.8% | 21.1% |
| Return on assets | 3.3% | 8.4% |
| Return on invested capital | 3.2% | — |
| FCF yield | 2.0% | 4.3% |
| Dividend yield | 2.1% | 1.2% |
| Debt / equity | 0.41 | 0.00 |
| Current ratio | 1.49 | 2.28 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 6.36 | 7.85 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 7 / 9 | 6 / 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.