Fidelis Capital Partners LLC Lowers Stock Position in Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ)

Fidelis Capital Partners LLC cut its stake in shares of Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) by 12.6% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 10,662 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,543 shares during the period. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC’s holdings in Mondelez International were worth $612,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MDLZ. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. increased its holdings in Mondelez International by 16.5% in the 3rd quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 1,058 shares of the company’s stock valued at $78,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Canopy Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Mondelez International by 1.2% during the third quarter. Canopy Partners LLC now owns 13,335 shares of the company’s stock worth $982,000 after buying an additional 161 shares during the period. Hardy Reed LLC grew its stake in shares of Mondelez International by 1.4% in the third quarter. Hardy Reed LLC now owns 11,511 shares of the company’s stock valued at $848,000 after buying an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. Avidian Wealth Enterprises LLC raised its holdings in shares of Mondelez International by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Avidian Wealth Enterprises LLC now owns 7,641 shares of the company’s stock valued at $563,000 after buying an additional 163 shares during the period. Finally, Citizens National Bank Trust Department lifted its stake in Mondelez International by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 33,415 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,462,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. 78.32% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on MDLZ. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on Mondelez International from $82.00 to $70.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Mondelez International from $78.00 to $71.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Mondelez International from $75.00 to $69.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Dbs Bank downgraded shares of Mondelez International from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on Mondelez International from $68.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $69.74.

Mondelez International Stock Performance

Shares of Mondelez International stock opened at $65.78 on Tuesday. 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. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $59.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is $65.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $85.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.23, a P/E/G ratio of 4.34 and a beta of 0.54.

Mondelez International (NASDAQ:MDLZ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.65 EPS 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%. Research analysts forecast that Mondelez International, Inc. will post 2.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mondelez International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.47 per share. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.86%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. Mondelez International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 54.97%.

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

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.