For the quarter ended November 2024, McCormick (MKC) reported revenue of $1.8 billion, up 2.6% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.80, compared to $0.85 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.77 billion, representing a surprise of +1.79%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +3.90%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.77.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how McCormick performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Net Sales- Flavor Solutions: $713 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $704.72 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +1.3%.
• Net Sales- Consumer: $1.09 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $1.06 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +3.5%.
• Operating income excluding special charges and transaction and integration expenses- Flavor Solutions: $80 million versus $79.52 million estimated by two analysts on average.
• Operating income excluding special charges and transaction and integration expenses- Consumer: $228 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $230.42 million.

View all Key Company Metrics for McCormick here>>>

Shares of McCormick have returned -6.1% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.7% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

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