Stack Financial Management Inc Reduces Position in Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ)

Stack Financial Management Inc trimmed its holdings in Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) by 1.2% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 347,427 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,103 shares during the period. Mondelez International comprises about 1.9% of Stack Financial Management Inc’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Stack Financial Management Inc’s holdings in Mondelez International were worth $20,752,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. BankPlus Trust Department acquired a new position in Mondelez International during the fourth quarter worth $589,000. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its position in shares of Mondelez International by 17.8% during the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 6,443 shares of the company’s stock valued at $385,000 after acquiring an additional 972 shares during the last quarter. B&D White Capital Company LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Mondelez International in the fourth quarter valued at about $203,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd increased its position in Mondelez International by 335.2% during the fourth quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 63,424 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,788,000 after purchasing an additional 48,849 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new stake in Mondelez International during the fourth quarter worth about $113,000. 78.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Mondelez International Price Performance

Mondelez International stock opened at $65.36 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $59.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $65.83. The firm has a market cap of $84.55 billion, a PE ratio of 19.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.34 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. Mondelez International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $53.95 and a 52-week high of $76.06.

Mondelez International (NASDAQ:MDLZ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.66 by ($0.01). Mondelez International had a net margin of 12.68% and a return on equity of 16.75%. On average, research analysts expect that Mondelez International, Inc. will post 2.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mondelez International announced that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Wednesday, December 11th that permits the company to buyback $9.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase up to 10.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Mondelez International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a $0.47 dividend. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.88%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. Mondelez International’s payout ratio is presently 54.97%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MDLZ has been the subject of several analyst reports. DZ Bank cut shares of Mondelez International from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $52.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Friday, February 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on Mondelez International from $68.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Piper Sandler cut Mondelez International from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $70.00 to $63.00 in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Jefferies Financial Group lowered Mondelez International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $75.00 to $62.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on Mondelez International from $75.00 to $69.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $69.74.

Mondelez International 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.