McCormick & Company, Incorporated $MKC Position Reduced by Park National Corp OH

Park National Corp OH lessened its holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) by 76.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,489 shares of the company’s stock after selling 20,863 shares during the period. Park National Corp OH’s holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated were worth $442,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MKC. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC bought a new position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. SouthState Bank Corp increased its stake in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 1,777.8% in the third quarter. SouthState Bank Corp now owns 507 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 480 shares during the period. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. bought a new position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,000. 79.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Lawrence Erik Kurzius sold 50,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.43, for a total transaction of $3,371,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 246,762 shares in the company, valued at $16,639,161.66. This represents a 16.85% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 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 value of $339,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 43,029 shares of the company’s stock, 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. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 115,000 shares of company stock worth $7,947,300. Company insiders own 10.60% of the company’s stock.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Stock Performance

NYSE MKC opened at $53.30 on Friday. McCormick & Company, Incorporated has a 1 year low of $52.63 and a 1 year high of $83.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 0.59. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $65.14 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $66.17. 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 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.01). McCormick & Company, Incorporated had a return on equity of 14.27% and a net margin of 11.54%.The company had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.84 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.80 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. McCormick & Company, Incorporated has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.050-3.130 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that McCormick & Company, Incorporated will post 3.07 EPS for the current year.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated News Summary

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.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on MKC shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded McCormick & Company, Incorporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 15th. TD Cowen cut their price target 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. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $71.00 to $65.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $72.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $74.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, McCormick & Company, Incorporated has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $73.30.

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.