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McCormick to Acquire Unilever Foods in Major Deal

Story Highlights
  • On March 31, 2026 McCormick agreed to acquire Unilever’s foods business via a Reverse Morris Trust, combining SpinCo with McCormick and funding the deal with up to $15.7 billion in bridge financing.
  • The transaction will make Unilever investors majority owners of McCormick, reshape its board and sharply expand its global foods footprint, while adding significant leverage and complex integration, tax and governance arrangements.
  • Looking for the best stocks to buy? Follow the recommendations of top-performing analysts.
McCormick to Acquire Unilever Foods in Major Deal

Meet Samuel – Your Personal Investing Prophet

McCormick & Company ( (MKC) ) has shared an update.

On March 31, 2026, McCormick & Company signed a series of definitive agreements with Unilever to acquire Unilever’s foods business via a complex Reverse Morris Trust structure. Unilever will first separate its foods arm into SpinCo, transfer related assets and liabilities, and then combine SpinCo with McCormick through two-step mergers, with SpinCo shareholders receiving McCormick voting and non-voting stock and the combined company backed by up to $15.7 billion in committed bridge financing.

Upon completion, Unilever shareholders are expected to own about 55.1% of McCormick and DutchCo 9.9%, with McCormick shareholders retaining roughly 35%, though Unilever can opt instead to distribute all SpinCo shares so its investors hold about 65% and DutchCo holds no stake. The transaction will significantly enlarge McCormick’s presence in the global foods and condiments market, add Unilever-designated directors to a 12-member board, and leave McCormick highly levered but supported by permanent financing plans and extensive separation, tax, transition and employee arrangements to manage integration and governance risks.

The most recent analyst rating on (MKC) stock is a Buy with a $64.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on McCormick & Company stock, see the MKC Stock Forecast page.

Spark’s Take on MKC Stock

According to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, MKC is a Neutral.

The score is driven primarily by steady underlying financial quality (solid profitability, improved leverage, and stronger 2025 cash flow) and a positive strategic outlook from the latest call (synergies and margin expansion targets). These positives are tempered by weak technicals (price well below key moving averages and negative MACD) and a valuation that is only moderately supported by the dividend yield.

To see Spark’s full report on MKC stock, click here.

More about McCormick & Company

McCormick & Company is a Maryland-based food manufacturer best known for its herbs, spices, seasonings and flavorings sold to both consumer and industrial customers. The company operates globally, supplying branded and private-label products to retail, foodservice and packaged food manufacturers, and competes in the broader condiments and flavor solutions market.

Average Trading Volume: 4,134,510

Technical Sentiment Signal: Sell

Current Market Cap: $13.54B

For detailed information about MKC stock, go to TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.

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