Mondelez International, Inc. MDLZ has been making strategic moves to aid overall growth. The company has been committed to reshaping its portfolio through prudent acquisitions and divestitures, alongside increasing focus on areas with high-growth potential. Mondelez’s healthy cash flows enable it to undertake shareholder-friendly activities. 

In the latest update, the company’s board has approved a new share repurchase authorization of up to $9 billion of its Class A common stock. This is effective Jan. 1, 2025 till Dec. 31, 2027.

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The latest authorization replaces the existing $6-billion authorization, out of which roughly $2.8-billion is remaining and will expire on Dec. 31, 2025. 

Mondelez might repurchase shares in the open-market transactions, privately negotiated deals or a combination of the foregoing. The share repurchases are subjected to MDLZ’s discretion depending on the market conditions, business considerations and other aspects.

In addition, the company’s board has announced a regular quarterly dividend of 47 cents a share on its Class A common stock. The latest dividend is payable on Jan. 14, 2025, to shareholders of record as of Dec. 31, 2024.

The company returned $2.9 billion to shareholders in cash dividends and share repurchases during the first nine months of 2024. We note that Mondelez has generated $3,451 million of net cash from operating activities in 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.

Hence, Mondelez is committed to its capital-allocation priorities, like reinvestment in the brands and other capabilities and maximizing shareholders’ value through share repurchases and dividends. Based on the present market scenario, share repurchase is a key priority and opportunity.

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The company continues to reinvest in its brands, expand distribution channels and leverage synergies from recent acquisitions to ensure sustainable growth. 

The company had inked a deal to acquire a majority stake in Evirth, a popular manufacturer of cakes and pastries in China, in September. This collaboration presents an exciting opportunity for Mondelez to leverage its iconic brands and distribution channels to create premium products in the rapidly growing cakes and pastries market. It has concluded the buyout of Ricolino. The company acquired Clif Bar in August 2022 and Chipita S.A. in January 2022. 

Mondelez’s focus on undertaking acquisitions to gain scale in its categories and distribution capabilities bodes well. Apart from this, its recent strategic partnership with Lotus Bakeries to co-develop new chocolate products and expand into India is a significant move to scale its business in emerging markets. This alliance aligns with this current Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company’s long-term growth strategies in chocolate and biscuits.

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However, Mondelez’s shares have lost 15.6% in the past three months compared with the industry’s 5.7% decline.

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