McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) Reaches New 12-Month Low Following Analyst Downgrade

Key Points

• McCormick shares hit a new 52‑week low after Deutsche Bank cut its price target from $70 to $59 (while keeping a Buy rating), with the stock trading around $49.38.
• The company is reported to be in advanced talks to merge with Unilever’s foods unit in a deal involving roughly $15.7 billion of cash consideration and a majority paid in McCormick equity, though talks remain uncertain.
• Despite analyst downgrades, McCormick beat quarterly expectations—Q1 revenue rose 16.7% to $1.87B and EPS was $0.66—and the company reaffirmed its fiscal 2026 outlook.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week low on Tuesday after Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on the stock from $70.00 to $59.00. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft currently has a buy rating on the stock. McCormick & Company, Incorporated traded as low as $50.10 and last traded at $49.3820, with a volume of 86579 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $53.72.

A number of other research analysts have also recently issued reports on MKC. Zacks Research cut shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. UBS Group cut their target price on McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $67.00 to $59.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 20th. TD Cowen decreased their price target on McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $82.00 to $75.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $78.00 to $67.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Finally, HSBC dropped their price objective on McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $75.00 to $69.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, McCormick & Company, Incorporated presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $70.60.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other McCormick & Company, Incorporated news, Director Jacques Tapiero sold 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were 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 approximately $2,119,775.64. The trade was a 13.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Lawrence Erik Kurzius sold 50,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.63, for a total transaction of $3,581,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 296,992 shares of the company's stock, valued at $21,273,536.96. This trade represents a 14.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 115,000 shares of company stock valued at $7,947,300. 10.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: McCormick beat first‑quarter sales estimates on steady demand for seasonings and condiments, and the company reaffirmed its fiscal 2026 outlook — supporting the revenue/earnings thesis behind the stock rally. Cholula sauce maker McCormick beats quarterly sales estimates on steady demand
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple outlets report McCormick is in advanced talks to combine with Unilever’s foods business in a transaction that would include roughly $15.7B of cash consideration with the majority paid in McCormick equity — a deal that could materially increase scale and create synergies for MKC shareholders. Unilever says nears deal to merge Foods unit with McCormick
• Neutral Sentiment: Unilever and McCormick say talks are continuing but stressed there’s no certainty a deal will be reached; that keeps a meaningful portion of the move contingent on negotiations, approvals and deal terms. Unilever talks to merge foods with McCormick continue
• Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank cut its MKC price target from $70 to $59 (still a Buy), a reminder some analysts see more limited near‑term upside absent a closed deal and that analyst revisions can cap momentum. Deutsche Bank lowers MKC price target

Institutional Trading of McCormick & Company, Incorporated

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Aristotle Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $259,918,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $249,087,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 66.7% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 6,232,337 shares of the company's stock worth $417,006,000 after acquiring an additional 2,494,544 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 67.2% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,797,533 shares of the company's stock worth $187,183,000 after acquiring an additional 1,124,003 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP acquired a new position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $64,522,000. 79.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Stock Performance

The company's 50-day simple moving average is $63.36 and its 200-day simple moving average is $65.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.12, a PEG ratio of 3.11 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The company reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.63 by $0.03. McCormick & Company, Incorporated had a net margin of 11.54% and a return on equity of 14.27%. The company had revenue of $1.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.79 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.60 earnings per share. McCormick & Company, Incorporated's revenue was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that McCormick & Company, Incorporated will post 3.07 EPS for the current year.

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.

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