Latest news with #Oreo
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Top Stock Movers Now: Kroger, CarMax, Accenture, and More
U.S. equities were mixed at midday as the market was cautious ahead of the weekend as the fighting between Israel and Iran continued. CarMax shares took off as revenue from retail used car sales jumped. Smith & Wesson warned that consumers continued to hold back on discretionary spending because of macroeconomic conditions.U.S. equities were mixed at midday as uncertainty about the fighting between Israel and Iran led investors to be cautious ahead of the weekend. The Nasdaq fell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose, and the S&P 500 was little changed. Kroger (KR) was the best-performing stock in the S&P 500 as the biggest U.S. grocer beat profit and same-store sales and raised its same-store sales guidance on higher pharmacy, fresh food, and e-commerce sales. Shares of CarMax (KMX) gained after the largest U.S. used car retailer reported better-than-expected profit as revenue from sales of retail vehicles increased. Mondelez International (MDLZ) shares were higher on an upgrade from Wells Fargo, which cited elasticity of chocolate prices, a lower inflation outlook, and the Oreo maker's favorable valuation. Accenture (ACN) shares declined when the consulting firm warned that economic and geopolitical uncertainty is causing CEOs to hold off on hiring consultants for some new projects. Shares of Smith & Wesson Brands (SWBI) tumbled when the gunmaker posted a drop in both earnings and revenue and warned sales will likely continue to slow because consumers are cutting back on discretionary spending. Amazon (AMZN) shares dipped on word a British regulator was looking into accusations the online retail giant didn't pay food suppliers on time. Oil and gold futures dropped. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was little changed. The U.S. dollar gained on the yen, fell against the euro, and was little changed against the pound. Trading in major cryptocurrencies was mostly lower. Read the original article on Investopedia
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Eyes that scroll: A Cannes Lions Social and Creator Special: BE Extraordinary
These are campaigns that stood out for use of social media and creator-led strategies . From playful "sonic branding" challenges, to a B2B strategy disguised as consumer engagement or leveraging a social media platform's community, each one had a unique story to tell. Oreo "Name this Oreo', VML Oreo transformed its iconic cookie into a playful exercise in "sonic branding" and social engagement. The campaign leveraged the simple act of twisting, licking, and dunking an Oreo, translating these actions into a "Morse code" for the brand. Different combinations of cookie and cream created distinct auditory responses, challenging a community of Oreo lovers to "guess the sound." This innovative use of social media didn't just showcase the product; it invited active participation and interpretation, turning the familiar cookie into an auditory puzzle. It bordered on sonic branding, demonstrating how the very act of consuming an Oreo could be playfully interpreted through sound, galvanizing a community around a shared, multisensory experience. Lay's Bar Crawl, Slap Global Lay's amplified its "No Game Without Lay's" slogan with a clever social media campaign featuring football legends Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi on a pub crawl. The premise was simple: the stars would attempt to watch a game at various pubs. Upon entering, their first question would be, "Do you have Lay's?" If a pub didn't stock the chips, the celebrity duo would simply leave and move on. This highly engaging social experiment was designed to be filmed and shared, creating immediate, viral content. It leveraged the immense fan base in pubs, turning every potential sighting of the stars into a demand for Lay's. The implicit message was clear: if you want football legends to watch the game at your establishment, you better have Lay's on hand. This was a brilliant B2B strategy disguised as consumer engagement, driving demand for Lay's in pubs by appealing directly to the desires of their patrons and the influence of iconic athletes. US Navy "Subreddit Hunt", VML The US Navy faced a dual challenge in recruitment: a high benchmark for candidates and difficulty reaching this niche audience. They devised an incredibly intelligent and targeted recruitment campaign using the popular online platform Reddit. Playing on the homophone between "submarines" and "subreddits," the Navy began hiding intricate clues, quizzes, and IQ tests within various subreddits. These challenges were designed to appeal to individuals with the specific skills, intensity, and knowledge required for Navy service. Finding and solving these hidden puzzles demanded significant intellect and persistence, effectively pre-qualifying potential recruits. This highly innovative approach turned a digital space into a sophisticated recruitment tool, leveraging an online community's characteristics to identify and engage a highly specialised talent pool for the US Navy. (At BE Extraordinary, a series about the winners at Cannes Lions written in collaboration with Harsh Kapadia, CCO, Grey India, we peer outside the Grand Prix winners, and look at clutter breaking work that picked the silvers and the bronzes, but don't often get discussed.)
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gross Profit Under Pressure: Can Mondelez Withstand Cocoa Surge?
Mondelez International MDLZ entered 2025 facing one of the most formidable headwinds in its global supply chain: record cocoa inflation. While first-quarter 2025 organic revenues rose 3.1%, driven largely by strong pricing in its chocolate portfolio, the gains were not enough to shield gross profit from compression. The company's gross profit declined significantly as cocoa prices soared to unprecedented highs, adding pressure on margins even amid robust retail emphasized a multipronged mitigation strategy built around pricing, revenue growth management and strategic pack architecture. Mondelez successfully implemented pricing across key markets with minimal disruption, indicating strong retailer alignment. Elasticity impacts, while present, were in line with expectations and suggest consumer loyalty to core brands like Oreo and Cadbury remains intact, especially where entry-level price points were the first quarter numbers raise key questions about Mondelez's ability to sustain profitability under prolonged commodity inflation. Volume mix declined 3.5% due to elasticity from chocolate pricing and planned pack downsizing. Notably, operating income in developed markets, particularly North America, was hurt by both cocoa cost pressure and soft consumer demand. In Europe, pricing landed well, but operating income erosion still occurred despite strong share noted that while some commodity inputs were procured favorably, the benefit was not enough to offset the cocoa's impact. Even with strong cost controls and productivity gains, adjusted earnings per share dropped by double digits, underscoring the bottom-line ahead, Mondelez is well-positioned to manage cocoa volatility. Strong pricing, effective cost controls and resilient brands support its margin strategy. As cocoa markets begin stabilizing, the company stands to benefit from improved leverage while reinvesting in long-term growth. Its disciplined execution underscores confidence in navigating near-term pressures and sustaining momentum in its core chocolate business. Shares of this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company have rallied 13.4% in the past six months against the industry's 4% decline. MDLZ outperformed the broader Consumer Staples sector and the S&P 500 index's growth of 5.9% and 1.1%, respectively, during the same period. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Closing yesterday's trading session at $66.35, the MDLZ stock is trading 12.8% below its 52-week high of $76.06 attained on Sept. 10, 2024. Technical indicators show the company's strong performance. The stock is trading above its 200-day SMA (simple moving average) of $65.18, highlighting a continued uptrend. This technical strength, along with sustained momentum, indicates positive market sentiment and investors' confidence in MDLZ's financial health and growth prospects. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Mondelez currently trades at a forward 12-month P/E ratio of 20.95 compared with the industry average of 15.72 and the sector average of 17.49. This valuation places the stock at a premium relative to peers, reflecting broader market expectations around its business stability and ability to navigate current cost and demand dynamics. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The positive sentiment surrounding MDLZ is reflected in the upward revisions in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings. In the past 30 days, the consensus estimate has moved up by a cent to $3.02 per share for the current fiscal year and to $3.33 for the next fiscal year. (Find the latest EPS estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.)The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current and next fiscal year's sales is pegged at $38.4 billion and $40.1 billion, implying year-over-year growth of 5.3% and 4.5%, respectively. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Nomad Foods NOMD, which manufactures frozen foods, sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. NOMD delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 3.2%, on average. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Nomad Foods' current financial-year sales and earnings implies growth of 4.6% and 7.3%, respectively, from the year-ago Group AB OTLY, an oatmilk company, provides a range of plant-based dairy products made from oats. It presently has a Zacks Rank of 2. OTLY delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 25.1%, on consensus estimate for Oatly Group's current fiscal-year sales and earnings implies growth of 2.3% and 63.8%, respectively, from the year-ago S.A. BRFS raises, produces and slaughters poultry and pork for the processing, production and sale of fresh meat, processed products, pasta, margarine, pet food and other products. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. BRFS delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 5.4%, on Zacks Consensus Estimate for BRF's current fiscal-year earnings implies growth of 11.1% from the prior-year levels. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report BRF S.A. (BRFS) : Free Stock Analysis Report Mondelez International, Inc. (MDLZ) : Free Stock Analysis Report Nomad Foods Limited (NOMD) : Free Stock Analysis Report Oatly Group AB Sponsored ADR (OTLY) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
MDLZ Q1 Deep Dive: Cocoa Inflation Drives Pricing Actions, U.S. Demand Remains Soft
Packaged snacks company Mondelez (NASDAQ:MDLZ) met Wall Street's revenue expectations in Q1 CY2025, but sales were flat year on year at $9.31 billion. Its non-GAAP profit of $0.74 per share was 12.2% above analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy MDLZ? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $9.31 billion vs analyst estimates of $9.31 billion (flat year on year, in line) Adjusted EPS: $0.74 vs analyst estimates of $0.66 (12.2% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $1.7 billion vs analyst estimates of $1.54 billion (18.2% margin, 10.6% beat) Operating Margin: 7.3%, down from 29.4% in the same quarter last year Organic Revenue rose 3.1% year on year (4.2% in the same quarter last year) Sales Volumes fell 3.5% year on year (-2.1% in the same quarter last year) Market Capitalization: $85.91 billion Mondelez's first quarter was marked by stable sales and a notable profit outperformance, leading to a positive market reaction. Management attributed the quarter's results to effective pricing strategies in response to record cocoa costs, especially within its chocolate segment. CEO Dirk Van de Put explained, 'Our top line grew 3.1% behind strong pricing execution across our chocolate business due to unprecedented input costs for cocoa.' The quarter also saw continued brand loyalty, particularly for core products like Oreo and Cadbury, despite economic pressures causing U.S. consumers to shift toward value-oriented purchases. Looking ahead, Mondelez expects ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty and elevated commodity costs to shape its performance. Management pointed to further pricing actions, product innovation, and targeted activations as key levers for growth, especially in Europe and emerging markets. CFO Luca Zaramella emphasized that 'pricing across the board, whether it is chocolate in developed and emerging markets or biscuits in emerging markets, is absolutely on track,' but cautioned that U.S. consumer confidence is unlikely to rebound quickly. The company plans to maintain agility in its strategy, focusing on both cost discipline and reinvestment should commodity pressures ease. Management cited strong pricing execution in chocolate, continued investment in brand and product innovation, and mixed geographic consumer sentiment as primary factors shaping the quarter's results and ongoing strategy. Cocoa-driven pricing actions: Mondelez implemented significant price increases in its chocolate segment to offset record cocoa costs, with management emphasizing minimal disruption and elasticities in line with expectations. The pricing strategy included tiered pack sizes and protected entry-level price points in key markets. Volume declines from elasticity and destocking: The company experienced a 3.5% volume decline, driven by consumer sensitivity to higher prices, retailer inventory reductions in North America, and seasonal timing shifts related to Easter. Management noted that U.S. biscuit volumes faced additional pressure from lower consumption and value-seeking behavior. Emerging market performance varies: While China and Brazil delivered strong results, India and Southeast Asia saw softer demand due to economic uncertainty and inflation. Management expects emerging markets to accelerate in the second half of the year through distribution gains and targeted promotions. Brand and product innovation: Mondelez launched several notable activations, including Oreo's partnership with Post Malone and the Cadbury Dairy Milk Biscoff bar. These initiatives are part of a broader effort to maintain consumer interest and drive share gains despite external pressures. Agility in cost management: The company delivered ahead-of-schedule productivity improvements, particularly in procurement, and opportunistically secured better input pricing for some commodities. Management indicated that any future margin upside from easing cocoa costs would likely be reinvested to support long-term brand health. Mondelez's outlook is guided by ongoing pricing initiatives, cost discipline, and a focus on adapting to shifting consumer sentiment across regions. Sustained pricing and RGM strategy: Management reiterated its commitment to a revenue growth management (RGM) approach—offering a range of pack sizes and price points tailored to regional consumer needs. The company expects continued pricing actions to offset commodity pressures, with elasticity and consumer response closely monitored, especially in Europe and emerging markets. Consumer confidence and U.S. demand: Mondelez remains cautious about U.S. consumer sentiment, noting ongoing value-seeking behaviors and lower frequency of snacking purchases. Management does not anticipate a near-term rebound in U.S. demand, and plans to focus on affordable formats, promotional activations, and multi-pack offerings to stabilize share and volumes. Potential margin reinvestment: Should cocoa prices moderate, management intends to reinvest some of the resulting margin improvement into brand support and innovation, rather than prioritizing short-term profit gains. This approach is designed to ensure long-term competitiveness and sustained category health. In the quarters ahead, the StockStory team will be watching (1) how effectively Mondelez sustains its pricing strategy while managing elasticity and consumer pushback, (2) whether volume trends in the U.S. biscuit and chocolate segments stabilize as retailer destocking subsides, and (3) acceleration in emerging market growth, particularly in India and China. The outcome of cocoa price movements and any resulting adjustments to reinvestment priorities will also be key indicators for the company's trajectory. Mondelez currently trades at $66.41, up from $65.58 just before the earnings. Is there an opportunity in the stock?Find out in our full research report (it's free). Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump's presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth. While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we're leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market by checking out our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Dairy Queen brings back fan-favorite Blizzard for a limited time. Here's when
A beloved Dairy Queen Blizzard treat is returning to menus in time for summer. Fans can get their first spoonfuls of the Oreo Dirt Pie Blizzard starting Friday, June 20, according to the Minnesota-based restaurant chain. The hand-spun treat is a digital exclusive, available to order online and on the DQ mobile app for a limited time. 'This playful summer classic features Oreo cookie pieces, gummy worms, and fudgy crumble blended with our world-famous vanilla soft serve,' Dairy Queen said in a June 16 news release. Pricing information wasn't immediately available. The treat will briefly join Dairy Queen's join summer Blizzard menu, which includes: S'mores Blizzard treatConfetti Cake Blizzard treatMixing Bowl Mashup Blizzard treat The Oreo Dirt Pie Blizzard will be available for a limited time, though the restaurant didn't say for how long. McClatchy News reached out to Dairy Queen for more information June 18 and was awaiting a response. Find your nearest Dairy Queen here.
