Van Cleef Asset Management Inc Buys 1,535 Shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC)

Van Cleef Asset Management Inc boosted its stake in McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) by 0.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 208,320 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,535 shares during the quarter. McCormick & Company, Incorporated accounts for 1.7% of Van Cleef Asset Management Inc’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Van Cleef Asset Management Inc owned approximately 0.08% of McCormick & Company, Incorporated worth $15,882,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Albion Financial Group UT acquired a new position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton acquired a new position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Kennebec Savings Bank bought a new position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $40,000. Finally, Sanctuary Wealth Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the third quarter valued at approximately $50,000. 79.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Trading Up 2.1 %

MKC stock opened at $81.81 on Friday. McCormick & Company, Incorporated has a one year low of $66.88 and a one year high of $85.49. The stock has a market cap of $21.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $76.49 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $78.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.31.

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 net margin of 11.73% and a return on equity of 14.89%. Equities analysts anticipate that McCormick & Company, Incorporated will post 3.07 EPS for the current year.

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 shares were sold at an average price of $77.03, for a total transaction of $2,163,926.76. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,177 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $475,814.31. This trade represents a 81.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 23.80% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MKC has been the subject of several recent research reports. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $85.00 to $82.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 27th. TD Cowen upgraded McCormick & Company, Incorporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $86.00 to $90.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. 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. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $66.00 to $69.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average 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.