Not a good buy right now for an impatient entry: price is sitting right at/just above near-term resistance (~66.18) while the broader trend remains bearish (SMA200 > SMA20 > SMA5), limiting immediate upside.
Recent earnings/guidance-driven analyst price-target cuts signal a near-term fundamental overhang; the stock is more likely to chop than break out cleanly.
Options positioning is mildly constructive on volume (more calls than puts today), but open-interest put/call is ~neutral, so there’s not a strong sentiment tailwind.
Trend/Momentum: MACD histogram is positive (0.278) and expanding, showing improving short-term momentum, but it’s fighting a bearish moving-average stack (SMA200 > SMA20 > SMA5), which typically caps rallies.
RSI: RSI(6) at ~65.9 is near the upper-neutral zone—momentum is decent but not a “freshly oversold” entry.
Levels: Pivot ~63.23 is the key nearby support; S1 ~60.29 (deeper support). Resistance is immediate at R1 ~66.18 (currently slightly above it) and next at R2 ~68.01.
Practical read: With price pressing resistance and longer-term trend still down, the setup looks more like a late-stage bounce than a high-conviction breakout entry.
Pattern-based expectation (provided): ~0.1% next day, ~+3.37% next week, ~+2.96% next month—modest upside skew, not a strong “buy-now” signal.
Options Data
Neutral
Open Interest Put-Call Ratio
Bullish
Option Volume Put-Call Ratio
Sentiment: Open-interest put/call ~0.95 is essentially neutral (no strong fear/greed skew). Today’s volume put/call ~0.19 is call-heavy (bullish today).
Activity: Total option volume ~1,700 vs 30D average suggests normal-to-slightly-active flow (today vs volume avg 30D ~90%).
Volatility: 30D IV ~25.7 with IV percentile ~66 (relatively elevated vs its past year), which often coincides with less “easy” upside and more two-sided pricing.
Takeaway: Options are mildly supportive near-term, but not screaming “crowded bullish bet.”
Technical Summary
Sell
7
Buy
7
Positive Catalysts
Short-term momentum improvement (positive/expanding MACD) could support a push toward ~68 if the market stabilizes.
Defensive consumer staples profile can attract flows on weak tape (S&P 500 down ~0.9% today), helping limit downside.
Profitability: Gross margin 38.99%, down ~2.94% YoY, aligning with the margin/cost-headwind concerns mentioned by analysts.
Bottom line: Earnings grew, but margin deterioration is the key negative trend and is likely what the market is focusing on post-guidance.
Growth
Profitability
Efficiency
Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends
Recent trend (late Jan 2026): clear wave of price-target cuts after Q4 and FY26 guide; ratings mostly held but tone turned more cautious.
Notable changes: Barclays to $67 (Equal Weight), UBS to $67 (Neutral), JPM to $72 (Overweight maintained), Deutsche to $73 (Buy maintained), BofA to $80 (Buy maintained), Bernstein to $85 (Outperform maintained).
Wall Street “pros” view: strong brand/franchise and defensive category; several Buy/Outperform ratings remain.
Wall Street “cons” view: unexpected cost headwinds, weaker-than-expected near-term growth outlook, and margin pressure—driving reduced estimates/targets.
Influential trading: Hedge funds neutral; insiders neutral; no recent Congress trading data provided (no signal from politicians).
Wall Street analysts forecast MKC stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for MKC is 83.67 USD with a low forecast of 75 USD and a high forecast of 89 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
3 Analyst Rating
Wall Street analysts forecast MKC stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for MKC is 83.67 USD with a low forecast of 75 USD and a high forecast of 89 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
3 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 66.980
Low
75
Averages
83.67
High
89
Current: 66.980
Low
75
Averages
83.67
High
89
Barclays
Andrew Lazar
Equal Weight
downgrade
$72 -> $67
AI Analysis
2026-01-26
Reason
Barclays
Andrew Lazar
Price Target
$72 -> $67
AI Analysis
2026-01-26
downgrade
Equal Weight
Reason
Barclays analyst Andrew Lazar lowered the firm's price target on McCormick to $67 from $72 and keeps an Equal Weight rating on the shares following the Q4 earnings report. While McCormick indicated on its fiscal Q3 that it may protect volume momentum over shorter term profit growth in fiscal 2026, new headwinds related to the acceleration of its enterprise resource planning implementation and a tax headwind were previously unknown, the analyst tells investors in a research note.
UBS
Bryan Adams
Neutral
downgrade
$70 -> $67
2026-01-23
Reason
UBS
Bryan Adams
Price Target
$70 -> $67
2026-01-23
downgrade
Neutral
Reason
UBS analyst Bryan Adams lowered the firm's price target on McCormick to $67 from $70 and keeps a Neutral rating on the shares. McCormick's Q4 EPS fell short of estimates with initial guidance for fiscal 2026 also coming in below estimates, the analyst tells investors in a research note.
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