Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp Grows Stock Holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC)

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp lifted its position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) by 1.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 119,723 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,927 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp’s holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated were worth $9,128,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MKC. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 14,253 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,173,000 after buying an additional 503 shares during the last quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP bought a new stake in McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the third quarter valued at $348,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 187.9% in the third quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 296,419 shares of the company’s stock valued at $24,395,000 after acquiring an additional 193,453 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 6.3% during the 3rd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,003,136 shares of the company’s stock valued at $247,158,000 after purchasing an additional 177,567 shares during the period. Finally, Public Sector Pension Investment Board raised its holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 13.4% in the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 11,019 shares of the company’s stock worth $907,000 after purchasing an additional 1,300 shares in the last quarter. 79.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Trading Down 0.2 %

McCormick & Company, Incorporated stock opened at $81.47 on Friday. McCormick & Company, Incorporated has a 12 month low of $66.88 and a 12 month high of $86.24. The company has a market capitalization of $21.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.71. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $79.26 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $78.83. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 25th. The company reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.64 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $1.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.61 billion. McCormick & Company, Incorporated had a return on equity of 14.89% and a net margin of 11.73%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.63 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that McCormick & Company, Incorporated will post 3.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 21st. Investors of record on Monday, April 7th will be issued a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 7th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.21%. McCormick & Company, Incorporated’s payout ratio is currently 61.86%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on MKC shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $66.00 to $69.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded McCormick & Company, Incorporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $85.00 to $91.00 in a report on Monday, December 9th. TD Cowen upgraded McCormick & Company, Incorporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the company from $86.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Argus cut McCormick & Company, Incorporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $85.00 to $82.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $83.75.

Insider Activity at McCormick & Company, Incorporated

In related news, Director Margaret M. V. Preston sold 28,092 shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.03, for a total value of $2,163,926.76. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 6,177 shares in the company, valued at approximately $475,814.31. This trade represents a 81.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 23.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Profile

McCormick & Co, Inc engages in the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of spices, seasoning mixes, condiments, and other flavorful products to retail outlets, food manufacturers, and foodservice businesses. It operates through the Consumer and Flavor Solutions segments. The Consumer segment sells spices, seasonings, condiments, and sauces.