Earnings results often indicate what direction a company will take in the months ahead. With Q4 behind us, let’s have a look at Darling Ingredients (NYSE: DAR) and its peers.

Ingredients, flavors, and fragrances companies supply essential components to food, beverage, personal care, and household product manufacturers. These firms develop proprietary formulations that enhance taste, scent, and texture, creating customer stickiness through specialized expertise and regulatory-approved ingredient portfolios. Tailwinds include growing consumer demand for natural and clean-label products, expansion in emerging markets, and innovation in plant-based and functional ingredients. However, headwinds persist from volatile raw material costs, particularly for agricultural and petrochemical inputs. Regulatory scrutiny over synthetic additives and fragrance allergens poses compliance challenges, while consolidation among major customers increases pricing pressure and negotiating leverage against suppliers.

The 5 ingredients, flavors & fragrances stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.3%.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 3.2% on average since the latest earnings results.

Best Q4: Darling Ingredients (NYSE: DAR)

Turning what others consider waste into valuable resources, Darling Ingredients (NYSE: DAR) collects and transforms animal by-products, used cooking oil, and other bio-nutrients into valuable ingredients for food, feed, fuel, and industrial applications.

Darling Ingredients reported revenues of $1.71 billion, up 20.6% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 11.8%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

“Our commitment to operational excellence drove a strong fourth quarter, delivering solid EBITDA growth and sequential gross margin improvement, despite lower fat prices. While Diamond Green Diesel (DGD) had a challenging year, our best-in-class operations led the industry and produced industry-leading results,” said Randall C. Stuewe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Darling Ingredients achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 5.1% since reporting and currently trades at $52.18.

Is now the time to buy Darling Ingredients? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE: IFF)

Responsible for the scents in your favorite perfumes and the flavors in your daily snacks, International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE: IFF) creates and manufactures ingredients for food, beverages, personal care products, and pharmaceuticals used in countless consumer goods.

International Flavors & Fragrances reported revenues of $2.59 billion, down 6.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.9%. The business had a satisfactory quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates but a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 6.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $82.12.

Is now the time to buy International Flavors & Fragrances? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Slowest Q4: Ingredion (NYSE: INGR)

Known for its ability to turn ordinary corn into thousands of different food ingredients, Ingredion (NYSE: INGR) transforms grains, fruits, vegetables and other plant-based materials into specialty starches, sweeteners and other ingredients for food, beverage and industrial markets.

Ingredion reported revenues of $1.76 billion, down 2.4% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.6%. It was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and a miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

The stock is flat since the results and currently trades at $117.90.

Read our full analysis of Ingredion’s results here.

Archer-Daniels-Midland (NYSE: ADM)

Transforming crops from the world's most productive agricultural regions into everyday essentials, Archer-Daniels-Midland (NYSE: ADM) processes and transports agricultural commodities like grains and oilseeds while manufacturing ingredients for food, beverages, feed, and industrial applications.

Archer-Daniels-Midland reported revenues of $18.56 billion, down 13.7% year on year. This number came in 12.6% below analysts' expectations. It was a slower quarter as it also recorded a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Archer-Daniels-Midland had the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is flat since reporting and currently trades at $67.72.

Read our full, actionable report on Archer-Daniels-Midland here, it’s free.

Bunge Global (NYSE: BG)

With origins dating back to 1818 and operations spanning both hemispheres to balance seasonal harvests, Bunge Global (NYSE: BG) is an agribusiness and food company that processes oilseeds, grains, and other agricultural commodities into vegetable oils, protein meals, flours, and specialty ingredients.

Bunge Global reported revenues of $23.76 billion, up 75.5% year on year. This print topped analysts’ expectations by 6.1%. Aside from that, it was a slower quarter as it produced full-year EPS guidance missing analysts’ expectations significantly and a significant miss of analysts’ gross margin estimates.

Bunge Global scored the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 4.4% since reporting and currently trades at $122.00.

Read our full, actionable report on Bunge Global here, it’s free.

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