McCormick Lowers Profit View Despite Q3 Earnings & Sales Beat

Core Insights - McCormick & Company, Incorporated (MKC) reported third-quarter fiscal 2025 results showing volume-led growth and resilience despite a challenging cost environment, with both earnings and sales increasing year over year and surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate [1] Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings per share rose to 85 cents, up from 83 cents in the prior year, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 81 cents, driven by higher operating income and disciplined cost management, although gross margin softened due to rising commodity costs and tariffs [2] - Net sales reached $1,724.9 million, a 3% increase year over year, including a 1% positive currency impact, beating the consensus mark of $1,715 million; organic sales grew 2%, supported by volume growth of over 1% and a 1% contribution from pricing [3] - Gross profit for the quarter was $645.1 million, down from $649.9 million in the previous year, with gross margin contracting 130 basis points to 37.4%; adjusted gross margin also contracted 120 basis points due to elevated input costs [4] Segment Performance - Consumer segment sales advanced 4% year over year to $973 million, with organic sales growing 3% driven by improved volume and mix; adjusted operating income rose 4% to $194 million [6] - Flavor Solutions segment sales increased 1% to $752 million, with organic sales up 1% on pricing; adjusted operating income dipped 2% to $100 million due to higher input costs and tariffs [7] Financial Health - McCormick ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $94.9 million, long-term debt of $3.1 billion, and total shareholders' equity of $5.8 billion; year-to-date operating cash flow was $420.2 million, with expectations for robust cash generation in fiscal 2025 [8] Future Outlook - The company reiterated its sales growth outlook for fiscal 2025 while lowering profitability guidance due to rising commodity costs and tariffs, expecting net sales growth of 0-2% [9][10] - Adjusted EPS is now projected between $3.00 and $3.05, indicating 2-4% year-over-year growth, down from the previous expectation of $3.03 to $3.08 [11]