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Mondelez Q3 Earnings Coming Up: Is a Beat in Store for MDLZ Stock?

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Mondelez International, Inc. (MDLZ - Free Report) is likely to register top and bottom-line growth when it reports third-quarter 2024 earnings on Oct. 29. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $9.07 billion, suggesting an increase of 0.4% from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure. The consensus mark for third-quarter earnings has remained unchanged in the past 30 days at 84 cents per share, indicating a rise of 2.4% from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter. MDLZ has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 7.8%, on average.

Stay up-to-date with all quarterly releases: See Zacks Earnings Calendar.

Things to Consider Ahead of MDLZ’s Upcoming Results

Continuous reinvestments in its brands and capabilities — along with impressive portfolio reshaping efforts — have been working well for Mondelez. The company has been gaining from its focus on core categories such as chocolate, biscuits and baked snacks, efforts to brand appeal, and commitment to prioritizing operational efficiency and cost management.

As consumers prefer snacking over traditional meals, the company’s core categories — chocolates and biscuits — have historically depicted resilience to economic downturns and pricing actions. This was witnessed in the second quarter of 2024, wherein Mondelez’s core categories of chocolate, biscuit and baked snacks showed strong loyalty and volume resilience even amid challenging market conditions.

Management has been focused on expanding its chocolate, biscuit and baked snacks categories as they present opportunities for solid growth and profitability. Our model estimate for revenue growth in the chocolate and biscuit categories for the third quarter stands at 2.5% and 0.4%, respectively.

However, Mondelez has been encountering a challenging and dynamic operating environment in terms of rising input costs, inflation and consumer uncertainties in various regions. Certain brands, like Chips Ahoy!, have experienced softness due to consumer shifts toward lower-priced options. However, MDLZ has been implementing strategies to counter this trend. On its last earnings call, Mondelez stated that it expects high cocoa prices to serve as a significant headwind in the second half of 2024. These raise concerns for the quarter under review.

Earnings Whispers for MDLZ

Our proven model predicts an earnings beat for Mondelez this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is the case here.

Mondelez carries a Zacks Rank #3, and it has an Earnings ESP of +0.80%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Other Stocks With the Favorable Combination

Here are some other companies worth considering, as our model shows that these also have the correct combination to beat on earnings this time.

Clorox (CLX - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +2.41% and a Zacks Rank of 2. The company is likely to register top and bottom-line growth when it reports first-quarter fiscal 2025 numbers. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Clorox’s quarterly revenues is pegged at $1.62 billion, which indicates an increase of 17.2% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Clorox’s quarterly earnings of $1.36 per share calls for growth of 177.6% from the year-ago quarter’s levels. CLX has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 122.9%, on average.

Colgate-Palmolive (CL - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.96% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is expected to register top and bottom-line growth when it reports third-quarter 2024 results. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues is pegged at $5.01 billion, suggesting a rise of 1.9% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly earnings has remained unchanged at 88 cents per share in the past 30 days. The consensus mark for CL’s earnings indicates growth of 2.3% from the year-ago quarter’s reported number. CL delivered an earnings surprise of 4.8%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +7.55% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The company is expected to register top and bottom-line growth when it reports third-quarter 2024 results. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CMG’s quarterly earnings has moved up by a penny in the past 30 days to 25 cents per share, and the projection indicates 8.7% growth from the year-ago quarter's reported number.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Chipotle Mexican Grill’s quarterly revenues is pegged at $2.82 billion, suggesting a rise of 13.9% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. CMG delivered an earnings surprise of 9.9%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.

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