Jefferies Financial Group Lowers McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) Price Target to $64.00

McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) had its price objective reduced by equities researchers at Jefferies Financial Group from $81.00 to $64.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 31.40% from the company’s previous close.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on MKC. HSBC decreased their price objective on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $69.00 to $55.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $78.00 to $67.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $75.00 to $64.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $67.00 to $59.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $67.00 to $58.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $64.27.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:MKC opened at $48.71 on Wednesday. McCormick & Company, Incorporated has a 52-week low of $47.52 and a 52-week high of $82.90. The stock has a market cap of $13.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.98, a PEG ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $62.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $65.03.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The company reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.79 billion. McCormick & Company, Incorporated had a return on equity of 13.29% and a net margin of 23.12%.The company’s revenue was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.60 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that McCormick & Company, Incorporated will post 3.07 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at McCormick & Company, Incorporated

In other McCormick & Company, Incorporated news, major shareholder Lawrence Erik Kurzius sold 50,000 shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.43, for a total value of $3,371,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 246,762 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,639,161.66. The trade was a 16.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing 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 transaction, the director owned 43,029 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,922,529.68. This trade represents a 10.41% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 115,000 shares of company stock valued at $7,947,300. Corporate insiders own 10.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On McCormick & Company, Incorporated

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators lifted its position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 67.8% during the 4th quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 406 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 164 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.74% of the company’s stock.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strategic combination with Unilever Foods positioned to expand McCormick’s global reach, capabilities and margins — management argues the deal supports long-term growth and margin improvement. McCormick Eyes Global Expansion Through Unilever Foods Deal
• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results topped expectations (EPS $0.66 vs. $0.61; revenue +16.7% y/y), showing resilient top-line and a path to improving margins — a near-term fundamental anchor under the shares. Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large retail activity in call options points to speculative bullish positioning or institutional interest ahead of deal clarity. Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on McCormick
• Positive Sentiment: Several major brokers trimmed targets but left constructive ratings (JPMorgan, Jefferies, BNP Paribas still overweight/buy/outperform), implying they see material upside even after adjustments. Analyst Coverage Summaries
• Neutral Sentiment: Stifel lowered its target to $55 and moved to a “hold,” signaling more cautious near-term views though not outright bearish. Stifel Adjusts Price Target on McCormick
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary suggests MKC may now be viewed as a deep-value/dividend play after the pullback, which could attract income-oriented buyers if fundamentals hold. MarketBeat Week In Review / MKC Notes
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/transaction risk and shareholder pushback: a law firm is investigating the merger terms and shareholder treatment (McCormick would own 35% of combined company), adding legal risk and uncertainty. Investor Alert: Kahn Swick & Foti Investigation
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and pessimistic forecasts from Barclays and Deutsche Bank have pressured momentum; the stock hit a new 1-year low following downgrades and deal skepticism. Barclays Issues Pessimistic Forecast for MKC
• Negative Sentiment: Market skepticism about the Unilever Foods structure: banks and analysts are split, and prior session market moves (shares fell sharply on initial reaction) reflect investor doubts about near-term value creation. Unilever-McCormick deal ‘not compelling value’ but ‘makes sense’
• Negative Sentiment: Critical analysis pieces question the merger rationale and integration risks, which could keep volatility elevated until clearer synergies and governance terms are disclosed. McCormick And Unilever Foods: Not A Happy Merger Yet

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.