FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE IFF AFFIRMS EARNINGS GUIDANCE FOR SECOND QUARTER AND COMMENTS ON SALESNew York, N.Y., July 7, 2003.... International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE: IFF) (“IFF” or “the Company”) announced that it expects second quarter 2003 earnings per share to be consistent with previous guidance, notwithstanding lower than anticipated sales for the quarter. The Company commented that it expects reported dollar sales for the second quarter 2003 to increase approximately 2-3% in comparison to the prior year comparable quarter; previously, the Company had expected sales to increase approximately 5%. For purposes of this comparison, the 2002 second quarter sales exclude $4.3 million of sales attributable to those non-core businesses disposed of in 2002. Reported dollar sales benefited from the strengthening of various currencies, most notably the Euro, in relation to the U.S. dollar. Had exchange rates remained constant between 2003 and 2002, sales for the second quarter 2003 would have declined approximately 5-6% in relation to the prior year; previously, the Company had expected local currency sales to be flat in relation to the 2002 comparable quarter. The sales performance reflected a marked slow-down in customer order activity during the last weeks of the quarter, most significantly in Europe and North America, and to a lesser extent in Latin America and parts of Asia Pacific. India sales exceeded previous expectations. Conference call There will be a conference call on July 24, 2003 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time, at which time the Company will discuss operating results for the second quarter 2003 and its expectations for the balance of the year. The dial in number for U.S.-based participants is 800-946-0742; for international participants, the number is 719-457-2650. The passcode for the call is 310448. A replay of the conference call will be available from 1:00 PM Eastern Time beginning on Thursday July 24, 2003 and ending at Midnight on Friday, August 22, 2003. The dial in number for the replay for U.S.-based listeners is 888-203-1112; for international listeners, the number is 719-457-0820. The replay pass code will be 310448. The call can also be monitored via the World Wide Web at www.iff.com. Real Network’s Real Player or Microsoft Media Player is required to access the webcast. They can be downloaded from www.real.com orwww.microsoft.com/windows/mediaplayer. A replay of the conference call will be available on the Company’s website for twelve months. |