McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) Shares Sold by Sentry Investment Management LLC

Sentry Investment Management LLC reduced its stake in McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) by 14.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 938 shares of the company’s stock after selling 153 shares during the period. Sentry Investment Management LLC’s holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated were worth $72,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in MKC. Mengis Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the 4th quarter worth approximately $294,000. Crestwood Advisors Group LLC increased its position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Crestwood Advisors Group LLC now owns 569,234 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,398,000 after buying an additional 1,472 shares during the period. Roffman Miller Associates Inc. PA lifted its stake in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Roffman Miller Associates Inc. PA now owns 376,363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,694,000 after buying an additional 4,731 shares during the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the fourth quarter valued at $374,000. Finally, Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund grew its position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 3.0% during the fourth quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund now owns 47,844 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,648,000 after acquiring an additional 1,400 shares during the last quarter. 79.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at McCormick & Company, Incorporated

In related news, Director Margaret M. V. Preston sold 28,092 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.03, for a total transaction of $2,163,926.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 6,177 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $475,814.31. This trade represents a 81.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 23.80% of the company’s stock.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Trading Up 2.1 %

Shares of NYSE:MKC opened at $81.81 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $76.49 and a 200-day moving average of $78.53. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The firm has a market cap of $21.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.92, a P/E/G ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.75. McCormick & Company, Incorporated has a twelve month low of $66.88 and a twelve month high of $85.49.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen upgraded shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $86.00 to $90.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target 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 increased their price objective for the stock from $85.00 to $91.00 in a report on Monday, December 9th. Finally, Barclays lowered 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 equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price 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.