McCormick, US5797802064

McCormick stock falls after TD Cowen downgrade and lower price target

Published on 09/15/2026 at 12:38 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

McCormick stock slipped to USD 50.39 on September 14, 2026 after TD Cowen cut its rating to Hold and lowered the price target to USD 55 from USD 60. Other houses, including UBS and Bernstein, adjusted their targets as analysts debate the flavor maker’s risk-reward.

Fotorealistische Aufnahme einer Gewürzfabrik mit Arbeitern und bunten Gewürzen — Fotorealistische Gewürzfabrik-Aufnahme veranschaulicht McCormick & Company (ISIN US5797802064) und dessen industrielle Konsumgüter-Produktion weltweit, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated (ISIN US5797802064) stock closed at USD 50.39 on the New York Stock Exchange on September 14, 2026, down 1.81% from the prior session in the wake of a rating downgrade by TD Cowen to Hold and a reduced price target of USD 55 from USD 60 as reported that day by several analyst overviews.

TD Cowen downgrade puts McCormick stock under pressure

According to MarketBeat on September 14, 2026, TD Cowen downgraded McCormick & Company, Incorporated from Buy to Hold and cut its price objective to USD 55.00 from USD 60.00. TD Cowen’s new target of USD 55 implies a potential upside of about 7.1% from the USD 51.35 opening level cited in that report, highlighting that the firm now sees only modest appreciation potential rather than the stronger upside previously embedded in the USD 60 target.

As Investing.com reported on September 14, 2026, TD Cowen cited merger execution concerns and a choppy backdrop in U.S. food service and flavor businesses as key reasons for the downgrade, arguing that these factors increase near-term risk for McCormick’s earnings trajectory. The same coverage notes that Cowen’s cut from USD 60 to USD 55 represents an 8.3% reduction in the firm’s fair value estimate, reinforcing the message that while McCormick remains a quality franchise, the analyst now views the risk-reward as more balanced.

Other analyst targets frame McCormick’s valuation range

The TD Cowen move came alongside other recent adjustments that help frame the valuation debate around McCormick stock. According to Investing.com on September 14, 2026, UBS raised its price target for McCormick to USD 52 while maintaining a Neutral rating, pointing to the company’s relative strength compared with other packaged food names even as it sees limited upside at current levels. In the same report, Bernstein SocGen Group lowered its target to USD 68 from USD 77 but kept an Outperform stance, suggesting that despite trimming expectations, Bernstein still believes the shares can deliver attractive returns for long-term investors compared with peers.

MarketBeat’s analyst overview on September 14, 2026 states that five research analysts currently rate McCormick stock as Buy and eight assign it a Hold rating, translating into a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of about USD 60.00. With the shares closing at USD 50.39 on September 14, 2026, that consensus implies roughly 19% upside versus the last close, but the spread between UBS at USD 52, TD Cowen at USD 55 and Bernstein at USD 68 underlines how opinions diverge on the pace at which McCormick can grow earnings and re-rate after recent underperformance.

Stock performance and 52-week comparison

Per a performance snapshot from MarketScreener published on September 14, 2026, McCormick shares closed that day at USD 50.39 on the NYSE after a 1.81% decline, leaving the stock down about 3.25% year to date and roughly 26.02% below its level at the start of the year. The same overview highlights an average target price of USD 60.23 for the stock, which, relative to the last close, points to almost a 19.5% discount to the average analyst fair value estimate and signals that, even after recent cuts, the street still sees room for recovery if execution improves.

According to MarketWatch on September 14, 2026, McCormick & Co. Inc. stock, trading under the ticker MKC, slipped 1.81% to USD 50.39 in that session and closed 30.41% below its 52-week high of USD 72.41, which was reached on February 13, 2026. This spread means that, relative to the peak earlier in the year, the shares have lost more than USD 22 in value, illustrating how investor sentiment has cooled as growth concerns have emerged and how any future positive surprise in earnings or guidance could have significant room to rebuild lost ground.

Fundamentals and guidance underpin the long-term story

Beyond near-term rating moves, McCormick’s fundamental profile still anchors the conversation around the stock. MarketBeat’s analyst alert dated September 14, 2026 notes that McCormick has set its fiscal year 2026 guidance at earnings per share between USD 3.05 and USD 3.13, and that analysts expect about USD 3.08 EPS for the current fiscal year. With the shares at USD 50.39 as of September 14, 2026, this guidance range implies a forward price-earnings multiple in the mid-teens, which is below the valuation levels McCormick commanded when trading near its 52-week high but still reflects the market’s willingness to pay a premium for a defensive, brand-rich flavor and seasoning franchise.

A separate profile from Simply Wall St on September 14, 2026 describes McCormick as a global supplier of herbs, spices, seasoning mixes, condiments and other flavor products for household and foodservice customers, noting that the company generates around USD 4.4 billion of revenue from its Consumer segment and about USD 3.0 billion from its Flavor Solutions segment. That split shows that roughly 59% of revenue comes from consumer-facing products and 41% from business-to-business flavor solutions, giving McCormick diversification across channels and geographies that can help smooth shocks but also exposes it to the choppy foodservice backdrop highlighted by TD Cowen.

Risk factors and investor takeaways

As summarized in CNBC on September 14, 2026, TD Cowen’s research team sees a choppy environment in U.S. food service and flavor businesses and believes McCormick is losing some market share in the seasonings category, both of which it views as meaningful risks for the company’s growth algorithm. Against that backdrop and after the stock’s recent underperformance, Cowen argues that the risk-reward has shifted, making a more cautious Hold stance appropriate even though prior earnings were characterized as strong.

At the same time, other voices remain more constructive. The UBS Neutral rating with a USD 52 target and Bernstein’s Outperform rating with a trimmed but still above-market USD 68 target collectively indicate that a number of analysts still expect McCormick to leverage its brand strength, dividend profile and defensive consumer staples positioning to deliver steady earnings growth over the medium term. For investors, the key question now is whether management can address concerns around merger execution and category share while staying within the FY 2026 EPS guidance band of USD 3.05 to USD 3.13; success on that front would support the higher end of the analyst target range, while further disappointments would likely keep the shares anchored closer to the current level.

McCormick stock valuation snapshot

Based on the September 14, 2026 close, McCormick stock trades around 30% below its 52-week high and carries a consensus price target near USD 60, with individual houses such as UBS at USD 52, TD Cowen at USD 55 and Bernstein at USD 68 providing a valuation corridor that reflects differing views on the pace of recovery in margins and volume growth. The market capitalization is cited at about USD 13.5 billion in a sector snapshot for packaged foods, and with FY 2026 EPS guidance clustered just above USD 3 per share, that level equates to a forward earnings yield in the mid-single digits.