McCORMICK REPORTS SOLID THIRD QUARTER PERFORMANCE AND REAFFIRMS 2026 OUTLOOK

HUNT VALLEY, Md., Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC), a global leader in flavor, today reported financial results for the third quarter ended August 31, 2026 and reaffirmed its outlook for fiscal 2026.

• Net Sales increased 17.4% in the third quarter and included a 0.9% favorable impact from currency. Organic sales growth was 1.9%.

• Gross profit margin in the third quarter expanded by 190 basis points versus prior year. Adjusted gross profit margin expanded by 180 basis points versus prior year.

• Operating income was $217 million in the third quarter compared to $289 million in the year-ago period. Adjusted operating income was $359 million compared to $294 million in the year-ago period.

• Earnings per share was $0.36 in the third quarter as compared to $0.84 in the year-ago period. Adjusted earnings per share was $0.86 as compared to $0.85 in the year-ago period.

• For fiscal year 2026, McCormick reaffirmed its net sales growth, adjusted operating income and adjusted earnings per share outlook.

• McCormick remains on track with integration planning for the proposed Unilever Foods combination and remains confident in delivering the expected strategic and financial benefits, including significant earnings per share accretion post-close.

Chairman, President, and CEO's Remarks

Brendan M. Foley, Chairman, President, and CEO, stated, "Third quarter results demonstrate the resilience and differentiated performance of our flavor-focused business model in a dynamic operating environment. We delivered strong sales growth, including organic growth across our global flavor portfolio, while expanding our profit margins. Disciplined productivity initiatives helped offset rising input and freight costs, supporting margin expansion and enabling continued investment in our brands to drive long-term profitable growth. Overall, performance reflected solid base business contribution and accretion from the McCormick de Mexico acquisition, where we have substantially completed its integration."

"Looking ahead, our enhanced margin profile and operational discipline position us to continue investing in our brands, capabilities, and innovation to support organic sales growth and drive long-term shareholder value creation. Our advantaged categories combined with our strong year-to-date performance, including solid organic growth, margin expansion, and robust cash flow, give us confidence in our ability to deliver on our 2026 outlook."

"We remain confident in the strategic benefits of the proposed combination with Unilever Foods and have made substantial progress on integration planning. We have established the future leadership team and operating model, mobilized cross-functional resources, and developed detailed plans to support business continuity and planned synergy delivery post-close."

"Finally, I want to recognize the engagement of our employees. Their focus, collaboration, and commitment to serving consumers and customers continue to support our differentiated performance. I also want to acknowledge the teams executing our standalone priorities, as well as those serving on the Integration Team, who are advancing the planning needed to prepare for the proposed Unilever Foods combination. I am grateful for their contributions, which continue to strengthen and sustain our Power of People culture."

Third Quarter 2026 Results

Sales Metrics

Profitability Metrics

Third Quarter 2026 Results

Net sales increased 17% in the third quarter compared to the year-ago period and included a 1% favorable impact from currency. Sales from McCormick de Mexico contributed 14% to the sales increase. Organic sales increased 2%, driven by price.

• Consumer segment net sales increased 25% from the third quarter of 2025 to $1,215 million including a 23% contribution from McCormick de Mexico and a 1% favorable impact from currency. Organic sales increased 1%, driven by a 2% increase from price partially offset by a 1% decline in volume and product mix.

• Flavor Solutions segment net sales increased 8% from the third quarter of 2025 to $809 million and included a 1% favorable impact from currency and 4% contribution from McCormick de Mexico. Organic sales increased 3%, driven by a 2% increase in price and a 1% increase in volume and product mix.

Gross profit for the third quarter increased by $150 million from the comparable period in 2025. Gross profit margin expanded 190 basis points versus the third quarter of last year. Excluding special charges in the prior year period, gross profit margin expanded by 180 basis points versus the third quarter last year. The expansion was driven by contribution from the acquisition of McCormick de Mexico, higher sales, and cost savings led by the Company's Comprehensive Continuous Improvement (CCI) program, partially offset by higher commodity and freight costs.

Operating income was $217 million in the third quarter of 2026 compared to $289 million in the third quarter of 2025. Excluding special charges, adjusted operating income was $359 million compared to $294 million in the year-ago period. Adjusted operating income increased 22% from the year-ago period, including a 1% favorable impact from currency. In constant currency, adjusted operating income increased 21% driven by higher gross profit, cost savings led by the CCI program, including selling, general and administrative (SG&A) streamlining initiatives, partially offset by higher SG&A expenses primarily due to acquisition related increases, as well as increased brand marketing investments and technology investments.

• Consumer segment operating income, excluding special charges, increased 24% in the third quarter of 2026 compared to the year-ago period to $241 million, or 24% in constant currency. The increase was driven by higher gross profit, partially offset by increased SG&A expenses including investments in brand marketing and technology.

• Flavor Solutions segment operating income, excluding special charges, increased 18% in the third quarter of 2026 compared to the year-ago period to $117 million, or 16% in constant currency. The increase was driven by higher gross profit, partially offset by increased SG&A expenses including investments in technology.

Earnings per share was $0.36 in the third quarter of 2026 compared to $0.84 in the third quarter of 2025. Special charges, including transaction and integration costs and a non-cash impairment charge related to non-core long-lived assets¹, lowered diluted earnings per share by $0.50. Excluding special charges, adjusted earnings per share was $0.86 in the third quarter of 2026 compared to $0.85 in the third quarter of 2025. The increase was primarily attributable to higher adjusted operating income, partially offset by a higher tax rate and higher interest expense.

Fiscal Year 2026 Financial Outlook

McCormick's fiscal 2026 outlook continues to reflect the Company's prioritized investments in key categories to sustain its volume trends and drive long-term profitable growth while appreciating the uncertainty of the consumer and macro environment, including global trade policies and the conflict in the Middle East. The Company's CCI program is continuing to fuel growth investments while also driving operating margin expansion. Lastly, the outlook reflects meaningful contributions from the acquisition of a controlling interest in McCormick de Mexico, which closed on January 2, 2026.

Current Guide - Expectations

Net Sales:

• Total volumes expected to be stable with increased pricing benefits relative to the prior year.

Adjusted Operating Income:

• Adjusted gross margin is expected to expand by 100 to 120 basis points from 2025. Favorable impacts from organic sales growth, McCormick de Mexico accretion, and the Company's CCI program.

• The benefit of the IEEPA tariff refund, recognized primarily in the second quarter of 2026, will be offset with increased inflationary costs, including costs related to the Middle East conflict, as well as continued investments in business growth.

• The increase in SG&A reflects continued investment in brand marketing, technology, and other growth initiatives, as well as the build back of incentive compensation. In addition, SG&A is expected to benefit from the Company's CCI program, inclusive of streamlining initiatives.

Adjusted Earnings per Share:

• Adjusted operating income growth partially offset by:
  • Tax rate of approximately 24.0% vs. 21.5% in 2025.
  • Higher net interest expense, primarily associated with the McCormick de Mexico transaction.
  • Income from unconsolidated operations no longer reflects ownership interest in McCormick de Mexico subsequent to the January 2026 acquisition.
  • The acquisition of the additional ownership interest resulted in the consolidation of McCormick de Mexico's financial results in the Company's financial statements from the date of acquisition. Income attributable to noncontrolling interest reflects elimination of the 25% minority interest in McCormick de Mexico Net Income attributable to Grupo Herdez.

The Company expects foreign currency rates to favorably impact net sales by 1%, adjusted operating income by 1%, and adjusted earnings per share by 1%.

For fiscal 2026, the Company expects strong cash flow driven by profit and working capital initiatives and anticipates returning a significant portion of cash flow to shareholders through dividends.

The Company's outlook for 2026 adjusted operating income and adjusted earnings per share are non-GAAP financial measures that exclude or otherwise adjust for items impacting comparability of financial results. The Company does not provide guidance on a GAAP basis as it cannot predict certain items included in GAAP results such as special charges, including transaction and integration expenses.

McCormick's Proposed Combination with Unilever Foods

In March 2026, the Company announced the agreement to combine McCormick with Unilever's Foods business, excluding India and other excluded businesses¹ to create a preeminent global flavor-focused company operating in attractive, high-growth categories, with approximately $20 billion in fiscal year 2025 revenue² and a 21% operating margin and strong cash flow generation. The transaction is expected to be accretive to McCormick's net sales growth rate, operating margin, and adjusted EPS with mid- to high-single-digit adjusted EPS accretion anticipated within the first twelve months post-close and mid-to high-teens accretion expected in Year 3.

The combined company is expected to realize approximately $600 million of annual run-rate cost synergies, net of growth reinvestments and potential dis-synergies, with approximately two-thirds expected to be achieved by Year 2 post-close. The Company also expects to identify approximately $100 million of incremental cost and revenue synergies that will be reinvested to further support growth. Cost synergies are expected to be driven primarily by SG&A, procurement, and manufacturing and logistics efficiencies.

Integration planning remains on track. McCormick has announced the planned future operating model and leadership team, established a dedicated Integration Management Office, and mobilized 20 cross-functional teams comprising more than 200 employees from McCormick and Unilever Foods. Detailed bottom-up Day 1 planning has identified a clear pipeline of quantified initiatives, supported by defined actions, ownership, timing, and resources. The companies have also established global transition service agreements designed to support business continuity from Day 1 and facilitate a phased exit over approximately two years following close. Lastly, McCormick continues to advance the regulatory approval process, with filings submitted on schedule across jurisdictions.

The transaction is expected to close by mid-2027, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The following tables include financial measures of organic net sales, adjusted gross profit, adjusted gross profit margin, adjusted operating income, adjusted operating income margin, adjusted income tax expense, adjusted income tax rate, adjusted net income, and adjusted diluted earnings per share. These represent non-GAAP financial measures which are prepared as a complement to our financial results prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles. These financial measures exclude the impact, as applicable, of the following:

• Special charges - Special charges consist of expenses and income associated with certain actions undertaken by us to reduce fixed costs, simplify or improve processes, and improve our competitiveness and are of such significance in terms of both up-front costs and organizational/structural impact to require advance approval by our Management Committee. Expenses associated with the approved actions are classified as special charges upon recognition and monitored on an ongoing basis through completion. Included in special charges are transaction and integration costs incurred in conjunction with acquisitions and impairments of long-lived assets.

• Gain on remeasurement of previously held equity interest - On January 2, 2026, we completed the acquisition of an additional 25% ownership interest in McCormick de Mexico which increased our ownership to a 75% controlling interest. Prior to the acquisition of the additional ownership interest, we accounted for our 50% ownership interest as an equity method investment. The acquisition of the additional ownership interest resulted in the consolidation of McCormick de Mexico's financial results. As a result of the consolidation, the carrying value of our previously held 50% ownership interest was remeasured to fair value resulting in a gain.

We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures are important. The exclusion of the items noted above provides additional information that enables enhanced comparisons to prior periods and, accordingly, facilitates the development of future projections and earnings growth prospects. This information is also used by management to measure the profitability of our ongoing operations and analyze our business performance and trends.

These non-GAAP financial measures may be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP; however, they should not be viewed as a substitute for, or superior to, GAAP results. Furthermore, these non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, as they may calculate them differently than we do. We intend to continue providing these non-GAAP financial measures as part of our future earnings discussions, ensuring consistency in our financial reporting.

A reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the related GAAP financial measures follows: