Prudential PLC Acquires Shares of 4,715 Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ)

Prudential PLC bought a new position in Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 4,715 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $282,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. ICICI Prudential Asset Management Co Ltd increased its stake in Mondelez International by 430.0% in the 4th quarter. ICICI Prudential Asset Management Co Ltd now owns 92,413 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,520,000 after buying an additional 74,975 shares during the period. Czech National Bank increased its position in shares of Mondelez International by 6.5% during the fourth quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 289,931 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,318,000 after acquiring an additional 17,815 shares during the period. Buckingham Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Mondelez International by 25.5% during the fourth quarter. Buckingham Capital Management Inc. now owns 93,394 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,578,000 after acquiring an additional 18,961 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Private Trust Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Mondelez International by 33.2% in the fourth quarter. Legacy Private Trust Co. now owns 3,841 shares of the company’s stock valued at $229,000 after purchasing an additional 957 shares during the period. Finally, Kennedy Investment Group bought a new position in Mondelez International in the fourth quarter worth approximately $313,000. 78.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Mondelez International Stock Performance

Shares of Mondelez International stock opened at $64.06 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $63.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $64.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $82.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.73, a PEG ratio of 4.34 and a beta of 0.47. 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 posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66 by ($0.01). Mondelez International had a return on equity of 16.75% and a net margin of 12.68%. Sell-side analysts expect that Mondelez International, Inc. will post 2.9 EPS for the current year.

Mondelez International announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase 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 shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Mondelez International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a $0.47 dividend. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend 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

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Mondelez International in a research report on Monday, March 24th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $69.00 target price for the company. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Mondelez International from $64.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Mondelez International from $69.00 to $63.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Mondelez International from $64.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Mondelez International from $68.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Mondelez International presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $70.20.

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.