DailyTickers

MDLZ — Mondelez International

NASDAQ · Consumer Staples · 2026-06-14
$0.00 +0.00% Defensive Anchor Score 40 C+ Score 50 C+
$77.2B
Market Cap
~17.8x
Fwd P/E
0.40
Beta
$51.20 – $71.15
52W Range
3.33%
Div Yield
MDLZ Chart
Click to enlarge

Verdict Express

C+ Neutral 5% confidence

Mondelez is the low-volatility anchor of the basket — a defensive snacking staple built on Oreo and Cadbury, with genuine pricing power and a beta of just 0.40 Yahoo Finance· live. Four straight adjusted-EPS beats show it is executing through a cocoa-driven earnings trough — though be honest about the trade-off: at ~18x forward earnings the valuation is reasonable for a name whose 2026 adjusted EPS is guided only flat to +5% in constant currency, so this is a defensive total-return hold (3.3% yield + buyback), not a cheap growth story.

Why Buy

  • 4 consecutive adjusted-EPS beats — execution through a tough cocoa cycle
  • Beta 0.40 — true low-volatility ballast when the market wobbles
  • ~18x forward P/E + 3.3% yield — reasonable for a defensive staple with pricing power
  • $9B buyback (+50%) and a 14-year dividend-growth streak
  • Iconic global brands (Oreo, Cadbury, Toblerone, Ritz) with pricing power

Why Avoid

  • Adjusted EPS is falling in constant currency (-14.9% in Q1'26) — earnings are in a trough, not growing
  • ~18x forward P/E is a fair multiple for flat-to-+5% EPS guidance — limited valuation cushion
  • Cocoa and input-cost inflation compressing gross margin
  • FX translation drag; repeated price hikes risk denting volumes

Business Overview

Mondelez International is one of the world's largest snacking companies, generating $38.5B of net revenue in FY2025 across biscuits (Oreo, Ritz, belVita, LU), chocolate (Cadbury, Milka, Toblerone), gum and candy SEC 8-K FY25· Feb 2026. The portfolio is anchored by power brands that hold the #1 or #2 position in most categories and geographies, giving Mondelez durable shelf space and the ability to push price.

Geographically the business is genuinely global — Europe, North America, Latin America, and a fast-growing AMEA (Asia, Middle East & Africa) segment. That diversification is the source of the defensive profile: when one region softens, another absorbs the slack. The flip side is FX exposure, since a large share of profit is earned in non-USD currencies. The moat is brand equity plus distribution scale — hard to replicate, and the reason snacking volumes prove sticky across economic cycles Yahoo Finance· profile.

Fundamentals

MetricValueSignal
Revenue (FY25)$38.5BResilient
Q1'26 Revenue$10.08B+8.2% YoY
Gross Margin (FY25)30.5%27.8% in Q1'26 (cocoa)
Operating Margin11.9%Healthy
Net Margin~12%Solid
ROE~18%High quality
Free Cash Flow~$3.2BFunds buyback + div
EV / EBITDA18.7xPremium staple
P/B3.0xBrand-heavy
Fwd P/E~17.8xIn-line w/ peers
2026 Adj. EPS GuideFlat to +5% ccTrough, not growth
Analyst Target (avg)~$66–70+10–16% / Buy

Capital Structure & Dilution

N/A
Shares Out.
N/A
Authorized
low
Dilution Risk

Technical Analysis

RSI (14)46.2
EMA 20$60.72
EMA 50$60.78
EMA 200$60.72
MACD0.000
Signal0.000
ATR (14)$1.36
Below EMA200 Below EMA50 MACD Bearish RSI Sub-50 (46.2)

Technical Setup

Structure is broken. Price at $60.12 has fallen below all three EMAs: EMA20 ($61.82), EMA50 ($60.78), EMA200 ($60.72) Finviz· live. The EMA stack itself is collapsing — EMA50 and EMA200 are nearly converging at $60.78/$60.72, and EMA20 is rolling over. RSI 46.2 sits below the 50 neutral line with no momentum support. MACD has crossed below its signal line, confirming the downtrend. The prior setup of accumulating near rising EMA support is invalidated. No actionable long setup exists until price reclaims EMA200 and the EMA stack re-orders.

Risk Analysis

Risk Profile: Low

A defensive, investment-grade staple with a 0.40 beta and a clean capital structure. The dominant risk is operational — cocoa-driven margin pressure — not balance-sheet or dilution risk.

Cocoa / Input-Cost Inflation

Medium
  • Cocoa prices compressed Q1'26 gross margin to 27.8% (from ~30.5% FY25)
  • Chocolate (Cadbury, Milka) is heavily exposed to bean costs
Probability
Impact
Pricing power and hedging cushion the hit; biscuits diversify away from cocoa

FX Translation

Low
  • A large share of profit is earned in non-USD currencies
  • A strong dollar trims reported revenue and EPS
Probability
Impact
Translation, not transaction — non-cash and tends to wash out over cycles

Volume Elasticity

Low
  • Repeated price hikes risk denting unit volumes
  • Private-label competition in price-sensitive markets
Probability
Impact
Snacking demand is sticky; brand loyalty limits trade-down

M&A Execution Risk

Medium
  • Mondelez has periodically pursued large-scale M&A (notably Hershey, a $40B+ target) — any deal of that scale could require equity issuance or significant leverage
  • CFO transition underway (Amit Banati replacing Luca Zaramella as CFO effective Jul 1, 2026) adds governance uncertainty during any potential deal-making
Probability
Impact
No active deal announced; monitor for any Hershey re-engagement or other large targets

Risk Synthesis

Mondelez carries a 3/10 risk score because the danger is concentrated in one well-understood, partially-hedgeable line item — cocoa — rather than the balance sheet. There is no dilution overhang, no toxic financing, no execution cliff. With beta 0.40, investment-grade credit, and four straight beats, the downside is shallow and the franchise is among the most defensive in the market MarketBeat· Jun 2026.

Trade Idea

TRADE STOPPED
Entry Zone
$62.50
Stop Loss
$60.40
-3.4% risk
Target 1
$66.00
+5.6% upside
Target 2
$69.00
+10.4% upside
Risk/Reward
1:1.7

Thesis

The original thesis was a low-volatility defensive ride on rising EMA support with a tight stop. That thesis is dead. Price has broken below the $60.40 stop, below all three EMAs, and the EMA stack is collapsing (EMA50 $60.78 and EMA200 $60.72 nearly converging). No new trade should be constructed until MDLZ reclaims EMA200 ($60.72) and the structure stabilizes. Fundamentals remain decent (4/4 beats, beta 0.40, 3.3% yield), but the technicals offer no support for a long position at current levels.

Catalysts

  • Q1 2026 adjusted EPS $0.67 beat the ~$0.61 consensus — fourth straight adjusted-EPS beat (note: still down 14.9% cc, so this is a beat on a falling base) SEC 8-K Q1'26· Apr 2026
  • Four consecutive adjusted-EPS beats through the cocoa cycle (Q2'25 $0.73 vs ~$0.68; Q1'26 $0.67 vs ~$0.61) — reliable delivery, not re-acceleration
  • $9B buyback (+50%, through 2027) provides a structural bid under the stock
  • 14-year dividend-growth streak; $2.00/yr (3.3%) total-return cushion
  • TRIGGERED — Daily close below the stop at $60.40 (price at $60.12, below all EMAs)

Invalidation

  • TRIGGERED — Daily close below the stop at $60.40 (price at $60.12, below all EMAs)
  • Cocoa cost re-acceleration that pushes gross margin meaningfully below the 27.8% Q1 trough
  • A guidance cut or volume miss on the next quarterly print

Disclaimer

This analysis is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice, investment recommendation, or solicitation to buy or sell any security.

Past performance is not indicative of future results. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Always conduct your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Data sourced from DailyTickers Gateway, Yahoo Finance, SEC EDGAR, and public market data. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

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