MKC vs BEN Comparison

In its 135-plus-year history, McCormick has become the leading global manufacturer of spices, herbs, extracts, seasonings, and other flavorings. In addition to its namesake brand, the firm's portfolio includes Old Bay, Zatarain's, Thai Kitchen, Frank's RedHot, French's, and Cholula. This mix will be complemented by the pending addition of Unilever's food brands, primarily Knorr cooking aids and Hellmann's mayonnaise. After the deal close, the combined business is slated to generate 70% of sales from consumers and 30% from restaurants and other packaged food and beverage manufacturers. Around 40% of sales are slated to come from faster-growing emerging markets, with Europe (23%) and North America (36%) accounting for the remainder.

Franklin Resources provides investment services for individual and institutional investors. At the end of July 2025, Franklin had $1.617 trillion in managed assets, composed primarily of equity (41%), fixed-income (27%), multi-asset/balanced (11%) funds, alternatives (16%) and money market funds (5%). Distribution tends to be weighted between retail investors (56% of AUM) and institutional accounts (41%), with high-net-worth clients accounting for the remainder. Franklin is one of the more global of the US-based asset managers we cover, with 31% of its assets under management invested in global/international strategies and just as much sourced from clients domiciled outside the United States.