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Mondelez Q3 Earnings & Sales Beat, MDLZ Expands With Evirth Deal

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Mondelez International, Inc. (MDLZ - Free Report) reported impressive third-quarter 2024 results, with the top and bottom lines beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate and increasing year over year.

Adjusted earnings were 99 cents per share, which increased 28.6% on a constant-currency (cc) basis. The metric also surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of earnings of 85 cents per share. The upside was backed by solid operating gains, reduced interest expenses and taxes, as well as a lower number of shares outstanding.

Find the latest EPS estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.

Net revenues increased 1.9% year over year to $9,204 million, driven by effective pricing strategies and positive volume/mix growth. The metric came above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $9,074.1 million.

Results gained from the company's commitment to drive excellence across its categories, markets and brands. MDLZ is focused on reinvesting in its brands, enhancing distribution, expanding capabilities and maintaining cost discipline.

Mondelez is dedicated to accelerating its core business while strategically reshaping its portfolio. A notable example is the acquisition of the majority stake in Evirth, a popular manufacturer of cakes and pastries in China. This collaboration presents an exciting opportunity for MDLZ to leverage its iconic brands and distribution channels to create premium products in the rapidly growing cakes and pastries market.

MDLZ’s Q3 Revenue and Margin Breakdown: Key Insights

Organic net revenues grew 5.4%, driven by higher net pricing and positive volume/mix. This was somewhat offset by adverse currency movements and the impact of the developed market gum business divestiture. Our model estimated organic net revenue growth of 3.4%. The growth was backed by favorable pricing actions (up 5.1 percentage points or pp) and volume/mix (up 0.3 pp).

Revenues from emerging markets inched up 0.1% to $3,530 million and rose 4.9% on an organic basis. Volume/mix in emerging markets experienced a decline of 1% due to Western brand boycotts in the EMEA region and reduced volumes, particularly in Mexico.

Revenues from developed markets increased 3.1% to $5,674 million while increasing 5.6% on an organic basis. Developed markets saw a volume/mix increase of 1%, driven by growth in North America and Europe.

Region-wise, revenues in Latin America dropped 7.7%, while the metric in Asia, the Middle East & Africa and Europe grew 3.4% and 7.7%, respectively. In the North American regions, revenues inched down 0.7%. On an organic basis, revenues rose 2%, 5.8%, 8.1% and 3.7% in Latin America, Asia, the Middle East & Africa, Europe and North America, respectively.

The adjusted gross profit rose by $378 million at constant currency or cc, with the adjusted gross profit margin expanding by 230 basis points (bps) to 40.5%. This growth was attributed to increased pricing and reduced manufacturing costs from enhanced productivity. However, this was partially offset by higher raw material and transportation expenses.

Mondelez’s adjusted operating income grew by $316 million at cc, with the adjusted operating income margin expanding 270 bps to 18.9%. This improvement was driven by favorable net pricing and reduced manufacturing costs from productivity gains and overhead leverage. However, these gains were somewhat offset by inflation in input costs.

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Mondelez’s Financial Health Snapshot

The company ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $1,517 million, long-term debt of $16,499 million and total equity of $27,891 million. MDLZ provided $3,451 million of net cash from operating activities for the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2024. Adjusted free cash flow was $2,469 million for the same period. Management expects a free cash flow of more than $3.5 billion for 2024.

The company returned $2.9 billion to shareholders in cash dividends and share repurchases during the first nine months of 2024.

What to Expect From MDLZ in 2024?

Mondelez reaffirmed the outlook for 2024. The company continues to expect organic net revenue growth in the upper range of 3-5%. Management envisions high-single-digit adjusted earnings per share (EPS) growth on a cc basis. Currency movements are likely to adversely impact net revenues by nearly 1.5% and adjusted EPS by 11 cents. Interest expenses are now expected to be $250 million.

Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have gained 1.1% in the past three months compared to the industry’s 0.7% growth.

Three Food Stocks Looking Good

Flower Foods (FLO - Free Report) offers high-quality baked items. FLO currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FLO’s current financial-year sales and earnings indicates growth of 0.9% and 5%, respectively, from the year-ago figures. FLO has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 1.9%.

McCormick & Company, Inc. (MKC - Free Report) is a leading manufacturer, marketer and distributor of spices, seasonings, specialty foods and flavors. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for McCormick & Company’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings indicates advancements of 0.6% and 8.2%, respectively, from the year-ago reported figures. MKC has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 13.8%, on average.

United Natural Foods (UNFI - Free Report) distributes natural, organic, specialty produce, and conventional grocery and non-food products. UNFI currently has a Zacks Rank #2.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for UNFI’s current financial-year earnings suggests significant growth from the year-ago period’s reported figure. United Natural Foods has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 199.3%, on average.

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