McCormick & Company, a US spice and seasoning maker, says it will take at least 76.55% of Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited and gain control of the Pakistani company. The plan was disclosed in a regulatory filing on Wednesday. It is tied to a wider transaction in which the American firm would take charge of most of Unilever PLC's global food business.
How the share purchase would work
Under the plan, McCormick intends to purchase 4.88 million of the company's shares under a contract. After that, it would make a public offer in line with the country's takeover rules, which set out how control of a listed company can change hands. The two stages mean the purchase is not complete until the offer is also carried out.
The offer cannot proceed until every required regulatory approval is received. Approval from the Competition Commission of Pakistan, the body that examines deals for their effect on competition, is one of the approvals that must come first. The filing names Arif Habib Limited as the firm managing the offer.
The wider deal behind the filing
The filing describes the Pakistan share purchase as one piece of a proposed combination between Unilever PLC's global food business and McCormick. Under a merger agreement from 31 March 2026, McCormick would gain sole control of nearly all of that business, excluding certain agreed exclusions.
The company dates to 1889 and has its headquarters in Maryland. Its products span spices, herbs, condiments and seasoning blends sold across 150 countries, under brands including French's, Frank's RedHot and OLD BAY.
Company figures and share price
Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited has 6.37 million ordinary shares in issue, each carrying a nominal value of Rs10. On the trading day before the announcement, the stock ended at Rs25,352. Across the 28 days that began on 23 September and ended on 20 October 2026, the weighted average price came to Rs25,308.
In 2025 the company booked net sales of Rs40.57 billion, against Rs33.71 billion a year earlier. Its net profit, however, dropped to Rs5.95 billion from Rs6.98 billion in the same period. Sales grew while profit shrank over the year, according to the figures in the filing.
What happens next
The shareholding will change only after the offer goes ahead and the required approvals are granted. Until then, the deal remains a proposal under review rather than a completed takeover. Readers should watch for the public offer and the Competition Commission's decision, which are the next steps named in the announcement.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited mein America ki company McCormick ne 76.55 fisad hissa lene ka elaan kiya hai. Yeh sauda abhi mukammal nahi hua, kyunke Competition Commission ki manzoori aur public offer baqi hain. Aam khareedar ke liye filhal qeemton, bills ya naukriyon mein koi tabdeeli elaan nahi hui hai. Agar aap is company ke shares rakhte hain, to offer ka intezar karna behtar hoga.
