McCormick & Company, Incorporated vs Yum! Brands, Inc. — how do they compare? McCormick & Company, Incorporated trades at $51.43 (market cap $13.96B), while Yum! Brands, Inc. trades at $144.94 (market cap $40.80B). The key difference: Yum! Brands, Inc. is far larger — about 2.9× McCormick & Company, Incorporated's market cap, and McCormick & Company, Incorporated pays the higher dividend (3.7%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| MKC | YUM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $13.96B | $40.80B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $71.65 | $168.16 |
52-Week Low | $45.60 | $138.21 |
Enterprise Value | $18.57B | $52.40B |
Dividend Yield | 3.7% | 2.01% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
McCormick & Company (MKC) trades at $51.90, down 0.35% with a bearish technical signal. The stock shows strong fundamentals with a P/E of 8.64, net income margin of 21.91%, and consistent dividend growth. Recent Q1 2026 earnings beat expectations, while analyst consensus remains mixed with 11 buy, 17 hold, and 2 sell ratings. The pending $65 billion Unilever Foods merger and London listing plans represent significant corporate developments.
MKC presents a compelling value opportunity with attractive valuation metrics and stable profitability. The Unilever merger offers substantial growth potential but carries integration risks. Current technical weakness near support at $50-$51 creates a potential entry point for long-term investors seeking dividend income and merger upside.
YUM trades at $149.59, down 0.74% on the day, with a bearish technical signal and neutral oscillators. The company reported revenue of $8.21B and net income of $1.56B in 2025, with a P/E ratio of 18.83. Recent developments include the sale of Pizza Hut for approximately $1.5B to LongRange Capital, with proceeds aimed at debt reduction and share buybacks, alongside a declared $0.75 quarterly dividend.
The outlook is mixed: analyst consensus is a buy with a $173.60 price target, but high debt and a legal investigation pose risks. Earnings have beaten expectations in two of the last three quarters, with Q3 2026 results pending. The stock offers potential upside from strategic refocusing and buybacks, balanced against consumer spending pressures and leverage concerns.
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In its 130-year history, McCormick has grown to become the leading global manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of spices, herbs, extracts, seasonings, and other flavorings. Beyond end consumers, McCormick's customer base also includes top quick-service restaurants, retail grocery chains, and other packaged food and beverage manufacturers, with about 30% of sales generated beyond its home turf to include 150 other countries and territories. In addition to its namesake brand, the firm's portfolio includes Old Bay, Zatarain's, Thai Kitchen, Frank's RedHot, French's, and the recently acquired Cholula brand.
Read more on MKC →Yum Brands is a U.S.-based restaurant operator featuring a portfolio of four brands: KFC (26,930 global units), Pizza Hut (18,380 units), Taco Bell (7,790 units), and The Habit Burger (310 units) at year-end 2021. With $58 billion in 2021 systemwide sales, the firm is the second-largest restaurant company in the world, behind McDonald's ($112.5 billion) but ahead of Restaurant Brands International ($36 billion) and Starbucks ($25 billion). Yum is 98% franchised, with the largest franchisee, Yum China, created via a 2016 spinoff transaction (after which Yum China agreed to pay 3% royalties to Yum Brands in perpetuity). Yum is the newest evolution of Tricon Brands, formerly a division of PepsiCo, and generates the bulk of its revenue from franchise royalties and marketing contributions.
Read more on YUM →