One-glance verdict
Within fair range
$84.08 our estimate vs market $96.66
Wall Street consensus: $97.21 (15.6% higher than our fair-value estimate)
15% above our estimate
Fundamentals snapshot
Givaudan SA
GVDNY · PNK · Basic Materials · Specialty Chemicals
Current price
$96.66
52-week range
$65.97 - $97.40
Market cap
$44.61B
Balance sheet
Stretched
12.17x Strong cushion
Net debt $5.58B. Interest coverage shows how many times profit covers the interest bill.
What stands out
3 Rewards
2 Risks
3 rewards · 2 risks
- Reward Revenue grew 0.8% last year.
- Reward Returns 22.3% on equity, ahead of 80% of its peers.
- Risk Stock trades 1.2% above its 5-year average P/E.
- Risk Insider ownership is only 0.0% (peer median: 0.7%).
What this company does
Givaudan SA
Givaudan makes the scents and tastes for many everyday products like perfumes, soaps, and even your favorite snacks and drinks. Their money primarily comes from selling these flavor and fragrance creations to big consumer goods companies, and it matters because it shows how well they're doing at creating the smells and tastes people want to buy.
How the company got here
Givaudan's story began way back in 1796, making it one of the oldest companies in its field. It started as a small perfumery in Switzerland and has grown over centuries through innovation and smart acquisitions. A key turning point was its focus on understanding how scents and tastes affect people, leading it to become a global leader in creating the flavors and fragrances we experience every day. This long history has given Givaudan deep expertise in understanding consumer preferences and developing unique sensory experiences.
What it actually does
Imagine your favorite perfume, the scent of your shampoo, or the delicious taste of a snack or drink – Givaudan likely played a role in creating those sensory experiences. The company doesn't sell products directly to you, but instead, it creates the "recipes" for flavors and fragrances that other companies use in their everyday consumer goods. They are essentially the invisible ingredient makers that make products smell and taste appealing to us.
Fragrance & Beauty
This part of Givaudan is all about creating scents and ingredients for personal care and fine fragrances. Think about the perfumes you might buy, the scents in your soaps and lotions, or even the freshness in your toothpaste. This division crafts these smells, working with brands to develop signature scents that resonate with consumers. It's a significant portion of Givaudan's business, contributing roughly half of its total revenue, and it also includes ingredients for beauty products that offer specific benefits.
Taste & Wellbeing
This segment focuses on creating the flavors that make food and drinks enjoyable, and also ingredients that contribute to health and wellness. Givaudan develops tastes for everything from fizzy drinks and juices to yogurts, ice creams, snacks, and even confectionery like chocolates and sweets. They also create flavor ingredients and components for savory dishes and health supplements. This division is about as large as the Fragrance & Beauty segment, representing the other half of Givaudan's overall business, and it's increasingly looking at how flavors can support healthier lifestyles.
What management is betting on now
Givaudan's current strategy revolves around innovation and sustainability, aiming to create new and exciting flavors and scents while also being environmentally responsible. They are investing in research to understand evolving consumer tastes and preferences, particularly in areas like health and natural ingredients. Management is also focused on expanding their reach in emerging markets and using digital tools to better connect with customers. This approach aims to ensure Givaudan remains a leader by anticipating future trends and offering solutions that meet both consumer desires and global sustainability goals.
Price history
How the share price has moved
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Is it cheap or expensive?
Fair value $84.08 vs current price $96.66
Wall Street consensus is the average analyst price target: $97.21 (15.6% higher than our fair-value estimate).
Our most-likely fair value is $84.08 a share — about 13.0% away from today's price of $96.66, so the stock currently looks fairly priced.
Is it drowning in debt?
Stretched
Net debt $5.6B. Interest coverage 12.2x.
Net debt
$5.58B
Interest coverage
12.17x
Givaudan SA's profit covers its interest bill about 12.2 times over. which is stronger than every peer shown here.
Stretched
Worse cushion
Baseline
Better cushion
GVDNY
BASELINE
Givaudan SA
Total debt $5.96B Interest coverage 12.17x This is the baseline the peer rows are being compared against.
Total debt $6.28B Interest coverage 3.68x -70% vs GVDNY Carries about 3.3x less debt cushion than GVDNY.
Total debt $7.55B Interest coverage 3.97x -67% vs GVDNY Carries about 3.1x less debt cushion than GVDNY.
Total debt $763.90M Interest coverage 7.00x -42% vs GVDNY Carries about 1.7x less debt cushion than GVDNY.
Total debt $1.05B Interest coverage 9.21x -24% vs GVDNY Carries about 1.3x less debt cushion than GVDNY.
What you should know
The case for and against GVDNY
3 Rewards
2 Risks
Rewards
-
Revenue grew 0.8% last year.
-
Returns 22.3% on equity, ahead of 80% of its peers.
-
Free cash flow was positive in 4/10 years.
Risks
-
Stock trades 1.2% above its 5-year average P/E.
-
Insider ownership is only 0.0% (peer median: 0.7%).
The numbers
All the key metrics, grouped by purpose
Tap any ? icon to learn what it means.
Valuation
How expensive the stock looks
P/E (TTM)
37.32x
Forward P/E
0.63x
P/B
8.35x
P/S
6.02x
EV/EBITDA
30.67x
PEG ratio
4.54x
Profitability
How much profit each dollar creates
Gross margin
43.7%
Operating margin
18.8%
Net margin
12.9%
ROE
22.3%
ROA
7.1%
Health
Liquidity and balance-sheet strength
Debt / equity
1.11x
Current ratio
1.29x
Quick ratio
0.74x
Total debt
$5.96B
Total cash
$383.66M
Growth
How the business has been compounding
Revenue TTM
$8.99B
Revenue 5Y CAGR
1.6%
EPS TTM
2.59
EPS 5Y CAGR
7.7%
Cash flow
How much cash the business throws off
Operating CF TTM
$1.84B
Free CF TTM
$1.47B
FCF margin
16.3%
Dividend
Shareholder payout
Yield
1.9%
Payout ratio
71.3%
Last ex-div date
2026-03-24