POST vs SJM vs MKC Stock Comparison

Post Holdings, J M Smucker and Mccormick Prices as of Oct 27, 2026 Peers: Industry group
POST Post Holdings, Inc.
$79.37 +8.5% 1M -26.8% 1Y
Market cap
$3.61B
P/E
12.3x
Revenue (TTM)
$8.41B
Div. yield
–
Packaged Foods Consumer Staples
2 wins
SJM J M SMUCKER Co
$127.40 +5.4% 1M +21.6% 1Y
Market cap
$13.40B
P/E
58.4x
Revenue (TTM)
$9.16B
Div. yield
0.03%
Packaged Foods Consumer Staples
3 wins
MKC Mccormick & Co Inc
$47.51 -0.9% 1M -29.2% 1Y
Market cap
$12.34B
P/E
8.3x
Revenue (TTM)
$7.69B
Div. yield
0.04%
Packaged Foods Consumer Staples
7 wins

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

Mccormick leads on 7 of the 12 questions below (Mccormick 7, J M Smucker 3, Post Holdings 2). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionPOSTSJMMKCLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $3.61B $13.40B $12.34B SJM
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 12.3x 58.4x 8.3x MKC
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 10.7x 11.2x 16.2x POST
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +6.2% +5.1% +13.2% MKC
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 3.5% 2.5% 19.4% MKC
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 5.6% 3.6% 6.0% MKC
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 5.3x 4.9x 3.6x MKC
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.03% 0.04% MKC
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -26.8% +21.6% -29.2% SJM
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +3.5%/yr +0.4%/yr -10.2%/yr POST
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 32.0% 28.7% 31.4% SJM
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 71/100 56/100 72/100 MKC

Percentile Scorecard

POSTSJMMKC

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisPOSTSJMMKC
Valuation 79 #10 of 44 58 #19 of 44 63 #17 of 44
Growth 77 #10 of 40 95 #3 of 40 85 #7 of 40
Profitability 68 #13 of 38 76 #10 of 38 89 #5 of 38
Financial Health 33 #31 of 46 29 #33 of 46 53 #22 of 46
Shareholder Returns 100 #1 of 30 24 #23 of 30 69 #10 of 30
Overall 71 56 72
  • POST ranked among 47 companies in Branded Foods
  • SJM ranked among 47 companies in Branded Foods
  • MKC ranked among 47 companies in Branded Foods

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodPOSTSJMMKCSPY
1 month +8.5%+5.4%-0.9% -0.2%
3 months -15.9%+3.6%-7.8% +3.9%
6 months -23.0%+29.9%-7.1% +8.2%
Year to date -19.9%+30.3%-30.2% +12.9%
1 year -26.8%+21.6%-29.2% +12.3%
3 years -1.6%+13.0%-24.6% +87.4%
3 years, per year -0.5%+4.2%-9.0% +23.3%
5 years +18.9%+2.2%-41.5% +67.9%
5 years, per year +3.5%+0.4%-10.2% +10.9%
10 years +59.5%-1.5%+0.5% +261.1%
10 years, per year +4.8%-0.1%+0.1% +13.7%

Risk

MeasurePOSTSJMMKCSPY
Volatility, 1Y 32.0%28.7%31.4% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 33.2%25.1%34.3% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y -0.12-0.31-0.34 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -0.840.75-0.93 0.97
Max drawdown, 5Y -39.9%-44.9%-57.7% -25.4%
From 52-week high -30.7%-4.5%-33.7% -1.2%
52-week high $114.61$133.40$71.65 $779.14
52-week low $72.50$89.53$44.15 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultiplePOSTSJMMKC
P/E now vs peer median 12.2xmedian 22.3x 59.3xmedian 22.3x 8.6xmedian 22.3x
P/S now vs peer median 0.4xmedian 0.7x 1.5xmedian 0.7x 1.7xmedian 0.7x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 7.9xmedian 12.3x 14.8xmedian 12.3x 13.4xmedian 12.3x
P/FCF now vs peer median 6.3xmedian 13.8x 8.6xmedian 13.8x 13.8xmedian 13.8x
P/B now vs peer median 1.1xmedian 1.5x 2.4xmedian 1.5x 1.7xmedian 1.5x
PEG now vs peer median 1.75median 0.57 0.30median 0.57 0.27median 0.57

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsPOSTSJMMKC
Revenue $8.41B $9.16B $7.69B
Gross profit $2.42B $3.54B $3.00B
Operating income $808.00M $826.20M $1.03B
Net income $293.10M $229.50M $1.51B
Free cash flow $553.10M $1.59B $925.90M
EPS (diluted) $5.71 $2.14 $5.53
Cash & equivalents $265.60M $43.20M $331.10M
Total debt $7.63B $6.74B $5.02B
Shares (diluted) 51.30M 107.10M 269.40M
Enterprise value $2.62B $13.18B $11.41B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricPOSTSJMMKC
P/E 12.2x 59.3x 8.6x
P/FCF 6.3x 8.6x 13.8x
P/Operating cash flow 3.5x 7.1x 11.2x
P/S 0.4x 1.5x 1.7x
P/B 1.1x 2.4x 1.7x
P/Tangible book 11.6x 108.2x 4.9x
EV/EBITDA 7.9x 14.8x 13.4x
EV/EBIT 13.4x 24.6x 16.9x
EV/Revenue 1.3x 2.2x 2.3x
EV/FCF 19.6x 12.8x 18.9x
EV/Operating cash flow 10.9x 10.6x 15.3x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 1.75 0.30 0.27

Growth

14 metrics
MetricPOSTSJMMKC
Revenue growth (1Y) 6.2% 5.1% 13.2%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 8.3% 2.7% 5.2%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 4.8% 15.6% 15.7%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 12.1% 6.8% 7.4%
Operating income growth (1Y) -1.7% 184.5% -3.2%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 11.8% 43.2% 3.5%
Net income growth (1Y) -20.0% 115.7% 93.3%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -2.8% 147.2% 32.7%
EPS growth (1Y) -2.7% 131.3% 91.5%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 7.0% 200.5% 32.2%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 6.5% 86.0% 29.8%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 15.5% 9.6% 2.4%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 27.8% 136.2% 41.3%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 15.9% 20.3% 5.9%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricPOSTSJMMKC
Gross margin 28.8% 38.7% 39.1%
EBITDA margin 16.4% 15.0% 17.0%
Operating margin 9.6% 9.0% 13.4%
Pretax margin 4.7% 4.6% 10.8%
Net margin 3.5% 2.5% 19.4%
FCF margin 6.6% 17.3% 12.0%
Operating cash flow margin 11.8% 20.9% 14.8%
Return on equity 9.3% 4.1% 19.0%
Return on assets 2.3% 1.4% 8.7%
Return on invested capital 5.6% 3.6% 6.0%
Return on capital employed 6.8% 5.9% 8.5%
Asset turnover 0.7x 0.6x 0.5x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 3.4x 8.3x 0.8x
Stock comp / revenue 1.0% 0.3% 0.6%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricPOSTSJMMKC
Debt / assets 59.4% 41.6% 30.1%
Debt / equity 2.5x 1.2x 0.7x
Net debt / EBITDA 5.3x 4.9x 3.6x
Debt / FCF 13.8x 4.2x 5.4x
Liabilities / assets 76.0% 64.5% 54.4%
Equity / assets 24.0% 35.5% 45.6%
Interest coverage 1.9x – 4.6x
Current ratio 1.9x 0.9x 0.7x
Quick ratio 0.9x 0.3x 0.3x
Cash ratio 0.2x 0.0x 0.1x
Altman Z-score 1.42 1.50 1.81

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricPOSTSJMMKC
Dividend yield – 3.5% 4.0%
Net buyback yield 34.1% 0.0% -0.1%
Shareholder yield 34.1% 3.5% 3.9%
Payout ratio (earnings) – 203.5% 33.6%
Payout ratio (FCF) – 29.4% 54.8%
Dividend growth (1Y) – 2.1% 6.9%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – 2.8% 7.1%

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusPOSTSJMMKC
Forward P/E 10.7xFY2026 11.2xFY2026 16.2xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $7.40FY2026 $11.33FY2026 $2.93FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +2.4%FY2026 +23.8%FY2026 -2.3%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after -6.6% -8.3% +11.9%
Revenue, next fiscal year $7.73BFY2026 $9.52BFY2026 $7.53BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY -5.2%FY2026 +5.2%FY2026 +10.1%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +8.9% -2.7% +12.6%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersPOSTSJMMKC
Held by institutions 100.0% 43.8% 88.9%
Institutions holding 418 887 948
Change in shares held, QoQ -0.3% -2.8% +4.8%
Institutions buying 177 493 478
Institutions selling 178 260 342
Buyers to sellers 0.99 1.90 1.40

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

POSTSJMMKC
POST 1.00 0.36 0.29
SJM 0.36 1.00 0.46
MKC 0.29 0.46 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, POST, SJM and MKC?

J M Smucker (SJM) is the largest by market capitalisation: Post Holdings (POST) $3.61B, J M Smucker (SJM) $13.40B, Mccormick (MKC) $12.34B.

Which stock is cheaper, POST, SJM and MKC?

Mccormick (MKC) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Post Holdings (POST) 12.3x, J M Smucker (SJM) 58.4x, Mccormick (MKC) 8.3x). On next year's consensus earnings, Post Holdings (POST) is cheapest (Post Holdings (POST) 10.7x, J M Smucker (SJM) 11.2x, Mccormick (MKC) 16.2x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Mccormick (MKC) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Post Holdings (POST) +6.2%, J M Smucker (SJM) +5.1%, Mccormick (MKC) +13.2%.

Which company is more profitable?

Mccormick (MKC) has the highest net margin (Post Holdings (POST) 3.5%, J M Smucker (SJM) 2.5%, Mccormick (MKC) 19.4%). On return on invested capital, Mccormick (MKC) leads (Post Holdings (POST) 5.6%, J M Smucker (SJM) 3.6%, Mccormick (MKC) 6.0%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year J M Smucker (SJM) returned the most: Post Holdings (POST) -26.8%, J M Smucker (SJM) +21.6%, Mccormick (MKC) -29.2%. Over five years, Post Holdings (POST) compounded fastest (Post Holdings (POST) +3.5%/yr, J M Smucker (SJM) +0.4%/yr, Mccormick (MKC) -10.2%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Mccormick (MKC) has the highest dividend yield: Post Holdings (POST) 0.00%, J M Smucker (SJM) 0.03%, Mccormick (MKC) 0.04%. Post Holdings (POST) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, J M Smucker (SJM) has been the steadiest (Post Holdings (POST) 32.0%, J M Smucker (SJM) 28.7%, Mccormick (MKC) 31.4%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, POST, SJM and MKC?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Mccormick (MKC) leads on 7. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.