Zacks Research Downgrades McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) to Strong Sell

Key Points

• Zacks Research downgraded McCormick & Company (NYSE:MKC) from a "hold" to a "strong sell" in a note to investors on Monday.
• The stock trades around $63.37 versus an average analyst price target of $74.10; McCormick reported a slight EPS miss ($0.86 vs. $0.87) with revenue marginally above estimates and set FY2026 guidance of $3.05–$3.13 (analysts forecast ~3.07).
• Company insiders sold about 115,000 shares (~$7.95M) in the past three months, while institutional ownership remains high at roughly 79.7% (major holdings include Vanguard and State Street).

McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other brokerages have also issued reports on MKC. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $82.00 to $75.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $74.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Barclays decreased their price objective on McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $72.00 to $67.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $72.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $87.00 price target on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $74.10.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of NYSE:MKC opened at $63.37 on Monday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $66.80 and a 200-day moving average of $66.88. The company has a market capitalization of $17.01 billion, a PE ratio of 21.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.58 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.70. McCormick & Company, Incorporated has a 52-week low of $59.62 and a 52-week high of $84.38.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 22nd. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.87 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.84 billion. McCormick & Company, Incorporated had a net margin of 11.54% and a return on equity of 14.27%. The company's revenue was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.80 EPS. McCormick & Company, Incorporated has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.050-3.130 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that McCormick & Company, Incorporated will post 3.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Michael D. Mangan sold 5,000 shares of the firm's 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 owned 43,029 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,922,529.68. This trade represents a 10.41% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Jacques Tapiero sold 5,000 shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated 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 completion of the sale, the director owned 31,596 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,119,775.64. This represents a 13.66% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 115,000 shares of company stock worth $7,947,300. 10.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On McCormick & Company, Incorporated

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 32,679,906 shares of the company's stock worth $2,225,828,000 after purchasing an additional 314,252 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 5.1% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 15,522,816 shares of the company's stock worth $1,038,632,000 after acquiring an additional 747,844 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,508,928 shares of the company's stock valued at $441,571,000 after acquiring an additional 59,587 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 6,422,944 shares of the company's stock valued at $437,467,000 after acquiring an additional 190,607 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aristotle Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $259,918,000. 79.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About McCormick & Company, Incorporated

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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