[Form 4] McCormick & Company, Incorporated Non-VTG CS Insider Trading Activity
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
McCormick & Company, Inc. (MKC) – Form 4 filing dated 07/02/2025 details a routine change in beneficial ownership by Chairman, President & CEO Brendan M. Foley.
- Transaction: On 06/30/2025 Mr. Foley was credited with 32.085 units of phantom stock (transaction code A) under the company’s Non-Qualified Retirement Savings Plan at an assigned price of $75.82 per unit.
- Derivative position: Following the credit, he now holds 11,772.064 phantom stock units, each convertible 1-for-1 into MKC voting common shares upon distribution.
- Direct equity ownership (unchanged): 108,652.016 voting common shares and 1,145.454 non-voting common shares.
No open-market purchase or sale of common shares occurred; the filing reflects an internal, deferred-compensation accrual. The quantity represents <0.05 % of MKC’s ~270 million diluted share count and is immaterial to valuation. Nevertheless, continued accrual of equity-based compensation maintains alignment between the CEO and shareholders.
Positive
- Alignment of interests: Additional phantom shares further link the CEO’s compensation to MKC’s share performance.
- No insider selling: The filing reports only an acquisition, with no dispositions that might signal bearish sentiment.
Negative
- Immaterial size: Only 32 phantom shares were credited, offering negligible incremental ownership.
- Non-cash transaction: Shares were awarded, not bought on the open market, limiting the strength of any positive signal.
Insights
TL;DR: Minor phantom-stock accrual; neutral impact—signals routine deferred-compensation, not open-market buying.
The 32-share phantom stock credit is de minimis relative to Mr. Foley’s existing 120k+ share exposure and MKC’s total float. Because it is awarded through the company plan rather than purchased with personal funds, it offers limited incremental insight into management’s market view. No selling activity was reported, so the filing carries no negative signal either. Overall, this is a routine administrative update with negligible market impact.
TL;DR: Routine equity-based compensation; maintains pay-for-performance structure; not financially material.
Phantom stock accruals are standard components of executive retirement programs designed to defer taxation and tie long-term rewards to share performance. The continued issuance underscores board adherence to equity-linked compensation principles. Given the small quantity and absence of discretionary purchases, shareholders should view the filing as procedural rather than indicative of strategic intent.