Barclays Cuts McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) Price Target to $58.00

McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) had its price objective reduced by research analysts at Barclays from $67.00 to $58.00 in a research report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Barclays‘s price target points to a potential upside of 15.36% from the stock’s previous close.

MKC has been the topic of a number of other reports. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $74.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $67.00 to $59.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 20th. HSBC lowered their target price on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $75.00 to $69.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $70.00 to $59.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $87.00 price objective on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, McCormick & Company, Incorporated currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $69.70.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Stock Performance

Shares of MKC traded down $3.44 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $50.28. 2,920,340 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,965,143. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.70. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $63.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $65.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.11 and a beta of 0.58. McCormick & Company, Incorporated has a 12 month low of $48.31 and a 12 month high of $83.15.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 31st. The company reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.63 by $0.03. McCormick & Company, Incorporated had a return on equity of 14.27% and a net margin of 11.54%.The business had revenue of $1.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.79 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.60 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that McCormick & Company, Incorporated will post 3.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Michael D. Mangan sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.92, for a total transaction of $339,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 43,029 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,922,529.68. This represents a 10.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Jacques Tapiero sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.09, for a total transaction of $335,450.00. Following the sale, the director owned 31,596 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,119,775.64. The trade was a 13.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 115,000 shares of company stock worth $7,947,300 in the last ninety days. 10.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On McCormick & Company, Incorporated

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of MKC. Rafferty Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 0.7% during the third quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC now owns 21,563 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,443,000 after purchasing an additional 157 shares during the period. Ransom Advisory Ltd boosted its position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Ransom Advisory Ltd now owns 4,625 shares of the company’s stock valued at $315,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators boosted its position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 67.8% in the 4th quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 406 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 164 shares during the period. Glen Eagle Advisors LLC increased its stake in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 42.5% in the 4th quarter. Glen Eagle Advisors LLC now owns 570 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp increased its stake in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 10.5% in the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,795 shares of the company’s stock worth $122,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. 79.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key McCormick & Company, Incorporated News

Here are the key news stories impacting McCormick & Company, Incorporated this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations: McCormick reported $0.66 EPS vs. $0.63 consensus and revenue of $1.87B (vs. $1.79B est.), with revenue up ~16.7% year‑over‑year and management reaffirming the 2026 outlook — supportive for near‑term fundamentals. Earnings and Call
• Positive Sentiment: Management says the proposed tie‑up with Unilever’s food brands would be accretive with sizeable cost synergies (company cites $600M run‑rate synergies, with most realized by year 2) and aims to keep the McCormick name, HQ and dividend policy — a constructive message on expected value creation if integration succeeds. Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic rationale: combining McCormick’s seasonings/condiments footprint with Unilever’s global food brands (Hellmann’s, Knorr, etc.) could materially expand scale, channel reach and product adjacencies — a long‑term growth story if execution goes smoothly. CNBC Deal Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Deal structure and size: reports indicate a cash‑and‑stock transaction valuing Unilever’s foods business near $44.8–$45B, with roughly $15.7B in upfront cash and the remainder paid in McCormick equity — the specifics affect dilution, control and timing but are not final. Reuters Deal Detail
• Neutral Sentiment: Timing and certainty: multiple outlets report talks are advanced and an announcement could occur quickly, but Unilever has cautioned there is no certainty a deal will be agreed — leaving an event‑risk premium in the shares. Deal Talks Update
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst caution and price‑target cuts: Barclays trimmed its PT to $58 (Equal Weight) and cited near‑term forces dominating the narrative; Deutsche Bank also lowered its PT to $59 — analyst downgrades/targets can pressure the stock while deal details remain uncertain. Barclays Note
• Negative Sentiment: Potential dilution and execution risk: majority‑equity consideration implies share issuance and potential dilution to existing holders; integration of two large, global portfolios carries execution, timing and cost‑realization risks that can weigh on sentiment. Reuters Merger Nearing
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: headlines about the large, complex deal plus analyst PT trims have driven intraday selling pressure despite the operational beat — investors appear focused on deal risk and near‑term uncertainty. Market Reaction

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Company Profile

McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE: MKC) is a global leader in spices, seasonings and flavor solutions. Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, the company traces its origins to the late 19th century and has grown into a major manufacturer and marketer of branded and private‑label flavor products for consumer, industrial and foodservice markets.

McCormick’s product portfolio includes pure spices and herbs, blended seasonings, marinades, rubs, sauces, extracts and specialty flavorings, along with ingredient systems and custom flavor development for manufacturers and foodservice operators.