Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) Shares Purchased by Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC increased its holdings in Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) by 6.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 259,584 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 16,068 shares during the period. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in Mondelez International were worth $15,505,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bailard Inc. grew its position in Mondelez International by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 45,260 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,703,000 after acquiring an additional 379 shares during the period. IFG Advisors LLC grew its position in Mondelez International by 6.7% in the fourth quarter. IFG Advisors LLC now owns 6,934 shares of the company’s stock worth $414,000 after acquiring an additional 435 shares during the period. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in Mondelez International in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in Mondelez International by 15.7% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 22,435 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,336,000 after acquiring an additional 3,046 shares during the period. Finally, Cape Investment Advisory Inc. grew its position in Mondelez International by 18.9% in the fourth quarter. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 2,235 shares of the company’s stock worth $133,000 after acquiring an additional 355 shares during the period. 78.32% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Mondelez International Stock Up 0.4 %

Mondelez International stock opened at $64.25 on Friday. Mondelez International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $53.95 and a 1-year high of $76.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.68 and a quick ratio of 0.48. The stock has a market cap of $83.11 billion, a PE ratio of 18.79, a P/E/G ratio of 4.34 and a beta of 0.54. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $59.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $65.71.

Mondelez International (NASDAQ:MDLZ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.65 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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, sell-side 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 plan on Wednesday, December 11th that allows the company to repurchase $9.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to purchase up to 10.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Mondelez International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a $0.47 dividend. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.93%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. Mondelez International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 54.97%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Dbs Bank lowered Mondelez International from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target 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. UBS Group lowered their price target on Mondelez International from $76.00 to $63.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Citigroup lowered their price target on Mondelez International from $78.00 to $71.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on Mondelez International from $69.00 to $63.00 and set an “overweight” 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 assigned a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Mondelez International currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $69.74.

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.