02:30 PM EDT, 03/31/2026 (MT Newswires) -- CFRA, an independent research provider, has provided MT Newswires with the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:

We cut our 12-month target price to $44 from $50, roughly 14x our FY 26 (Nov.) EPS estimate of $3.16 (raised from $3.09; FY 27 raised to $3.26 from $3.23). This multiple is well below MKC's long-term average of 27x but more in line with center-store packaged food peers. We expect shares to trade at a compressed multiple as the company looks to close its acquisition of Unilever's food business by mid-2027. The deal has clear strategic merit, as Unilever Foods opens white space opportunities across products (e.g., Hellmann's mayonnaise), channels (e.g., back-of-house foodservice), and geographies (e.g., new emerging markets). In addition, the transaction should be immediately accretive to sales growth, operating margins, and adjusted EPS. However, the sheer scale of the transaction, along with the required stock issuance and incremental leverage (~4.0x at close), introduces meaningful execution risk. We think investor concerns are warranted given the industry's shaky track record of large-scale M&A.