First Merchants Corp Buys 5,369 Shares of Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ)

First Merchants Corp boosted its position in shares of Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ - Free Report) by 31.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 22,444 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,369 shares during the period. First Merchants Corp's holdings in Mondelez International were worth $1,341,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bogart Wealth LLC grew its position in Mondelez International by 8.0% during the 4th quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 99,218 shares of the company's stock worth $5,926,000 after purchasing an additional 7,342 shares in the last quarter. Aries Wealth Management grew its position in Mondelez International by 15.3% during the 4th quarter. Aries Wealth Management now owns 10,801 shares of the company's stock worth $645,000 after purchasing an additional 1,435 shares in the last quarter. Raab & Moskowitz Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Mondelez International by 6.1% during the 4th quarter. Raab & Moskowitz Asset Management LLC now owns 28,491 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,702,000 after acquiring an additional 1,629 shares in the last quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Mondelez International in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Naples Global Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Mondelez International by 9.9% in the fourth quarter. Naples Global Advisors LLC now owns 3,862 shares of the company's stock worth $232,000 after acquiring an additional 348 shares during the last quarter. 78.32% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Mondelez International Stock Performance

MDLZ stock traded up $0.36 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $61.18. 10,757,981 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 11,133,493. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, 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 business has a 50-day moving average of $58.97 and a two-hundred day moving average of $66.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $81.81 billion, a PE ratio of 17.89, a P/E/G ratio of 4.04 and a beta of 0.54.

Mondelez International (NASDAQ:MDLZ - Get Free Report) last released 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 net margin of 12.68% and a return on equity of 16.75%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Mondelez International, Inc. will post 2.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mondelez International announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, December 11th that authorizes the company to repurchase $9.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 10.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Mondelez International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 14th. Investors 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 3.07%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. Mondelez International's payout ratio is presently 54.97%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Mondelez International from $69.00 to $63.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Mondelez International from $78.00 to $71.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on shares of Mondelez International from $67.00 to $62.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Mondelez International from $76.00 to $63.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on shares of Mondelez International from $68.00 to $60.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Mondelez International presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target 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.