Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Cuts Stock Position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC)

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC - Free Report) by 39.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,320 shares of the company's stock after selling 4,792 shares during the quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated were worth $558,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Curio Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Twin Tree Management LP acquired a new stake in McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, Parvin Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 4th quarter valued at about $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.74% of the company's stock.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of MKC stock traded down $0.04 on Tuesday, hitting $73.40. 2,335,833 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,048,880. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $75.21 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $77.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 0.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.68 billion, a PE ratio of 25.05, a PEG ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.74. McCormick & Company, Incorporated has a twelve month low of $66.88 and a twelve month high of $86.24.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 25th. The company reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.64 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $1.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.61 billion. McCormick & Company, Incorporated had a net margin of 11.73% and a return on equity of 14.89%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.63 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that McCormick & Company, Incorporated will post 3.07 EPS for the current year.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 21st. Investors of record on Monday, April 7th were issued a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, April 7th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.45%. McCormick & Company, Incorporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 61.86%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Argus cut shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, McCormick & Company, Incorporated presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $83.14.

Insider Activity at McCormick & Company, Incorporated

In related news, Director Lawrence Erik Kurzius sold 50,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.81, for a total value of $4,090,500.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 247,437 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,242,820.97. The trade was a 16.81% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Gregory Repas sold 2,750 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.42, for a total transaction of $223,905.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 2,266 shares in the company, valued at approximately $184,497.72. This trade represents a 54.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 60,392 shares of company stock worth $4,898,101. Company insiders own 23.80% of the company's stock.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Company Profile

McCormick & Co, Inc engages in the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of spices, seasoning mixes, condiments, and other flavorful products to retail outlets, food manufacturers, and foodservice businesses. It operates through the Consumer and Flavor Solutions segments. The Consumer segment sells spices, seasonings, condiments, and sauces.