McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) Shares Sold by Mather Group LLC.

Mather Group LLC. decreased its position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC - Free Report) by 2.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 174,134 shares of the company's stock after selling 5,241 shares during the quarter. Mather Group LLC. owned 0.06% of McCormick & Company, Incorporated worth $13,276,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the third quarter valued at $28,000. Albion Financial Group UT purchased a new position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Kennebec Savings Bank acquired a new position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the third quarter worth about $40,000. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton purchased a new stake in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the fourth quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, Friedenthal Financial acquired a new stake in McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the third quarter valued at approximately $49,000. 79.74% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Stock Performance

MKC traded up $1.12 during trading on Friday, hitting $78.43. 934,290 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,996,618. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. McCormick & Company, Incorporated has a 1-year low of $64.33 and a 1-year high of $85.49. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $76.69 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $78.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.77, a PEG ratio of 3.67 and a beta of 0.75.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The company reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.77 by $0.03. McCormick & Company, Incorporated had a net margin of 11.73% and a return on equity of 14.89%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that McCormick & Company, Incorporated will post 3.07 earnings per share for the current year.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 30th were paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 30th. This is an increase from McCormick & Company, Incorporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.30%. McCormick & Company, Incorporated's dividend payout ratio is currently 61.43%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Jacques Tapiero sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.34, for a total transaction of $386,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 28,217 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,182,302.78. This represents a 15.05 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. 22.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on MKC. TD Cowen raised shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the company from $86.00 to $90.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $66.00 to $69.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. Jefferies Financial Group raised McCormick & Company, Incorporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $85.00 to $91.00 in a research report on Monday, December 9th. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $85.00 to $82.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, McCormick & Company, Incorporated presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $83.75.

About McCormick & Company, Incorporated

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.