The proposed $44.8 billion combination of McCormick with Unilever’s Foods business, announced in March 2026 and structured as a reverse Morris Trust, cleared its key U.S. antitrust hurdle when the FTC granted early termination of the Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period on October 5. The transaction, expected to close by mid-2027, would create a roughly $65 billion flavor-focused entity with projected $600 million in annual cost synergies and mid-single-digit adjusted EPS accretion in the first year post-close. Trader attention now centers on the UK Competition and Markets Authority’s Phase 1 review, with a November 11 decision deadline that could trigger deeper scrutiny or require remedies such as the planned divestiture of Colman’s mustard. Regulatory filings continue across other jurisdictions while integration planning advances, though the timeline remains subject to shareholder approvals and any remaining competition concerns.