UBS Group Has Lowered Expectations for McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) Stock Price

McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) had its target price dropped by stock analysts at UBS Group from $67.00 to $59.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. UBS Group’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 10.70% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on MKC. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $74.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $72.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Zacks Research lowered shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. TD Cowen lowered their target price on shares of 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. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued 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 equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $73.30.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Price Performance

Shares of MKC stock opened at $53.30 on Friday. McCormick & Company, Incorporated has a 12 month low of $52.63 and a 12 month high of $83.15. The company has a market capitalization of $14.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.19, a P/E/G ratio of 3.11 and a beta of 0.59. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $65.14 and a two-hundred day moving average of $66.15. 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) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 22nd. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.84 billion. McCormick & Company, Incorporated had a net margin of 11.54% and a return on equity of 14.27%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.80 earnings per share. McCormick & Company, Incorporated has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.050-3.130 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that McCormick & Company, Incorporated will post 3.07 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other 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 value of $335,450.00. Following the sale, the director owned 31,596 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,119,775.64. The trade was a 13.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Michael D. Mangan sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $2,922,529.68. The trade was a 10.41% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 115,000 shares of company stock worth $7,947,300 over the last three months. 10.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On McCormick & Company, Incorporated

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC bought a new stake in McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators grew its position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 67.8% during the 4th quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 406 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 164 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC acquired a new stake in McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. 79.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting McCormick & Company, Incorporated

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

• Positive Sentiment: Potential transformational scale and revenue upside — combining Unilever Foods (brands such as Hellmann’s and Knorr) with McCormick would materially expand MKC’s portfolio and global footprint, creating cost and distribution synergies that investors often reward. WSJ: Unilever in Talks to Separate Food Business and Combine It With McCormick
• Positive Sentiment: McCormick’s strong M&A track record supports belief it could integrate and extract value — the company’s past acquisitions (Frank’s, Cholula, French’s) have become meaningful growth drivers, which makes a larger Unilever foods deal strategically credible. Reuters: From Frank’s to Cholula, McCormick’s decade of deals sets stage for bold Unilever move
• Neutral Sentiment: Talks confirmed but deal not agreed — both Unilever and McCormick acknowledged discussions; timing, structure and terms remain uncertain, so near‑term volatility largely reflects speculation rather than a signed transaction. PR Newswire: McCormick Issues Statement Proactive: Unilever confirms talks with McCormick
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent fundamentals: a modest quarterly EPS miss and FY‑26 guidance range create mixed near‑term earnings visibility—investors will watch how management frames any deal impact on margins/guide. (Company Q report: slight EPS miss; FY2026 guidance 3.050–3.130 EPS.)
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst reaction is weighing on the stock — UBS cut its price target from $67 to $59 and moved to a “neutral” rating, which can trigger selling pressure while investors reassess deal economics and dilution/valuation risks. TickerReport / Benzinga: UBS lowers price target on McCormick
• Negative Sentiment: Execution, integration and financing risks — a large combination raises questions about deal structure (all‑stock), regulatory approvals, integration complexity and possible balance‑sheet implications; until clarity emerges, investor caution may persist.

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.