Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Grows Position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC)

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC - Free Report) by 3.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 122,845 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 4,322 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio's holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated were worth $9,366,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Pacific Point Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the 4th quarter valued at $1,352,000. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC raised its holdings in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 69.1% during the 4th quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 14,548 shares of the company's stock worth $1,109,000 after buying an additional 5,945 shares in the last quarter. PharVision Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 4th quarter worth $202,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its stake in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,046,489 shares of the company's stock worth $232,264,000 after acquiring an additional 43,353 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Woodline Partners LP acquired a new position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,155,000. 79.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Stock Up 1.6%

MKC stock traded up $1.11 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $72.49. 3,000,208 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,041,059. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $75.84 and its 200 day moving average price is $77.18. The stock has a market cap of $19.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.74, a P/E/G ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.74. McCormick & Company, Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $66.88 and a fifty-two week high of $86.24.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 25th. The company reported $0.60 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.64 by ($0.04). The firm 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 business's revenue for the quarter was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.63 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that McCormick & Company, Incorporated will post 3.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 21st. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 7th were given a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, April 7th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.48%. McCormick & Company, Incorporated's dividend payout ratio is presently 61.86%.

Insider Transactions at McCormick & Company, Incorporated

In related news, insider Katherine Jenkins sold 7,642 shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.38, for a total value of $583,695.96. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Gregory Repas sold 2,750 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 3rd. The stock was 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 directly owns 2,266 shares in the company, valued at approximately $184,497.72. The trade was a 54.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 60,392 shares of company stock worth $4,898,101. 23.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

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.