Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the fourteen ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $77.64.

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on MDLZ shares. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Mondelez International from $75.00 to $82.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $61.00 price objective (down from $74.00) on shares of Mondelez International in a research note on Tuesday. Redburn Atlantic assumed coverage on Mondelez International in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $82.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Mondelez International from $80.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Mondelez International from $78.00 to $71.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday.

Mondelez International Stock Performance

Shares of Mondelez International stock opened at $58.29 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. Mondelez International has a 12-month low of $57.67 and a 12-month high of $77.20. The company has a market capitalization of $77.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.67, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.54. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $63.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $67.71.

Mondelez International (NASDAQ:MDLZ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The company reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.85 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $9.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.11 billion. Mondelez International had a net margin of 10.58% and a return on equity of 17.53%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.82 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Mondelez International will post 3.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Mondelez International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 14th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a dividend of $0.47 per share. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.23%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. Mondelez International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 66.67%.

Mondelez International announced that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, December 11th that authorizes the company to repurchase $9.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 10.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mondelez International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MDLZ. Benjamin Edwards Inc. boosted its holdings in Mondelez International by 1,904.9% in the third quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 425,805 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,369,000 after acquiring an additional 404,567 shares during the last quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Mondelez International by 14.3% in the 3rd quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 114,436 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,430,000 after purchasing an additional 14,278 shares during the last quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Mondelez International by 11.6% in the 3rd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 249,067 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,349,000 after purchasing an additional 25,833 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Mondelez International by 5.6% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,567,067 shares of the company’s stock worth $115,446,000 after buying an additional 82,742 shares during the period. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC raised its stake in Mondelez International by 0.7% during the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 1,354,879 shares of the company’s stock worth $99,822,000 after buying an additional 9,789 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.32% of the company’s stock.

Mondelez International Company Profile

Mondelez International, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures, markets, and sells snack food and beverage products in the Latin America, North America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. It provides biscuits and baked snacks, including cookies, crackers, salted snacks, snack bars, and cakes and pastries; chocolates; and gums and candies, as well as various cheese and grocery, and powdered beverage products.