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Mondelez (MDLZ) explained: how it makes money, how it's doing, what protects it

A plain-English guide to the company behind Oreo, Ritz and Cadbury Dairy Milk. See what it sells, where the money goes, who it competes with and why cocoa matters so much.

⚡What does Mondelez do, in 30 seconds?

Mondelez makes and sells snacks: chocolate, biscuits and baked snacks at its core, plus gum and candy, cheese and grocery, and powdered drinks 1. Its brands include Oreo, Ritz and Cadbury Dairy Milk 1. It sold $38.5bn ✓ in FY2025, and 76% ✓ of that came from outside the US. Biscuits made up 48% ✓ of sales and chocolate 33% ✓.

Revenue, FY2025
$38.5bn✓
Profit, FY2025
$2.5bn✓
Sales growth, 4 quarters to 30 Sep 2026
6.0%✓
Net cash (cash and investments minus borrowings; leases and stakes in other companies not counted), 30 Sep 2026
-$18.3bn✓
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois 27
Incorporated
2000 in Virginia; formerly Kraft Foods Inc. 318
Employees
About 91,000 at 31 December 2025 1
CEO
Dirk Van de Put, since November 2017 2829
Reach
Sells in over 150 countries; operates in about 80 1
Fiscal year ends
31 December 1

📱What does Mondelez sell?

Mondelez has five product categories, and biscuits and chocolate are by far the biggest. Here is what each one is and where it sells best.

🍪

Biscuits and baked snacks

Cookies, crackers, salted snacks, snack bars, cakes and pastries, under brands such as Oreo, Ritz, LU, Clif Bar and Tate's Bake Shop 1. This category brought in $18.4bn ✓ in FY2025. North America was its largest region, with $9,331 million of that 3. Mondelez has been adding cakes and pastries, including Oreo cakester line extensions and Milka and Lacta croissants in Europe and Brazil 1.

👥 Snackers buying from supermarkets, club stores, convenience stores and online.

🍫

Chocolate

Bars and treats under brands including Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone 1. Chocolate brought in $12.7bn ✓ in FY2025. Europe was its largest region at $7,799 million, while North America added $436 million 3. Recent new products include chocolate that combines Biscoff with Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and other brands in Europe 1.

👥 Chocolate lovers, mostly outside North America.

🍬

Gum and candy

Brands include Halls, Stride, Clorets, Maynards Bassetts and Sour Patch Kids 4. This category brought in $4.1bn ✓ in FY2025. Latin America was its largest region, at $1,507 million 3. Mondelez sold its developed market gum business in the United States, Canada and Europe to Perfetti Van Melle in October 2023 3.

👥 Shoppers picking up a small treat or throat sweet.

🧀

Cheese and grocery

Its meals brands include Philadelphia and Royal 4. Cheese and grocery brought in $2.4bn ✓ in FY2025. Europe made $1,461 million of that, and the category had no North American net revenues 3.

👥 Home cooks and grocery shoppers, mainly in Europe.

🥤

Beverages

Powdered drinks, with brands such as Tang and Bournvita 14. Beverages brought in $1.0bn ✓ in FY2025. Asia, Middle East and Africa ($517 million) and Latin America ($344 million) were the largest regions, and North America had none 3.

👥 Families who mix drinks at home.

How the mix has shifted

Revenue mix by productFY2023Biscuits: $17.6bn (49%)Biscuits 49%Chocolate: $10.6bn (29%)Chocolate 29%Gum and candy: $4.4bn (12%)Gum and candy 12%Cheese and grocery: $2.2bn (6%)Beverages: $1.2bn (3%)FY2024Biscuits: $17.8bn (49%)Biscuits 49%Chocolate: $11.2bn (31%)Chocolate 31%Gum and candy: $4.0bn (11%)Gum and candy 11%Cheese and grocery: $2.3bn (6%)Beverages: $1.1bn (3%)FY2025Biscuits: $18.4bn (48%)Biscuits 48%Chocolate: $12.7bn (33%)Chocolate 33%Gum and candy: $4.1bn (11%)Gum and candy 11%Cheese and grocery: $2.4bn (6%)Beverages: $1.0bn (3%)
Revenue mix by productFY23Biscuits: $17.6bn (49%)49%Chocolate: $10.6bn (29%)29%Gum and candy: $4.4bn (12%)12%Cheese and grocery: $2.2bn (6%)Beverages: $1.2bn (3%)FY24Biscuits: $17.8bn (49%)49%Chocolate: $11.2bn (31%)31%Gum and candy: $4.0bn (11%)11%Cheese and grocery: $2.3bn (6%)Beverages: $1.1bn (3%)FY25Biscuits: $18.4bn (48%)48%Chocolate: $12.7bn (33%)33%Gum and candy: $4.1bn (11%)Cheese and grocery: $2.4bn (6%)Beverages: $1.0bn (3%)BiscuitsChocolateGum and candyCheese and groceryBeverages
Share of revenue by business line, by fiscal year. Source: Mondelez International, Inc. 10-K filed 2026-02-04.

Where the customers are

Most of Mondelez's sales come from outside the US, at 76% ✓ in FY2025, or $29.2bn ✓. The US added 24% ✓, or $9.3bn ✓. Mondelez manages its business through four regions: Latin America; Asia, Middle East and Africa; Europe; and North America 1. Emerging markets made $12,130 million of its $29,402 million of net revenues in the first nine months of 2026 23.

Revenue by regionOutside the US$29.2bn 76% of salesUnited States$9.3bn 24% of sales
Revenue by regionOutside the US$29.2bn 76%United States$9.3bn 24%
Revenue by region, FY2025. Source: Mondelez International, Inc. 10-K filed 2026-02-04.

💸How does Mondelez make money?

Follow the money: what customers pay for, what it costs to make, and what is left as profit.

Money map FY2025: how revenue turns into profitBiscuits → Revenue: $18.4bnChocolate → Revenue: $12.7bnGum and candy → Revenue: $4.1bnCheese and grocery → Revenue: $2.4bnBeverages → Revenue: $1.0bnRevenue → Gross profit: $10.9bnRevenue → Cost of sales: $27.6bnGross profit → Operating profit: $3.5bnGross profit → R&D: $0.4bnGross profit → Selling & admin: $6.8bnGross profit → Other operating costs: $0.2bnOperating profit → Net income: $2.5bnOperating profit → Income tax: $0.8bnOperating profit → Other costs: $0.3bnBiscuits$18.4bn · 48%Chocolate$12.7bn · 33%Gum and candy$4.1bn · 11%Cheese and grocery$2.4bn · 6%Beverages$1.0bn · 3%Revenue$38.5bnGross profit$10.9bn · 28%Cost of sales$27.6bn · 72%Operating profit$3.5bn · 9%R&D$0.4bn · 1%Selling & admin$6.8bn · 18%Other operating costs$0.2bn · 1%Net income$2.5bn · 6%Income tax$0.8bn · 2%Other costs$0.3bn · 1%
Money map FY2025: how revenue turns into profitBiscuits: $18.4bnChocolate: $12.7bnGum and candy: $4.1bnCheese and grocery: $2.4bnBeverages: $1.0bnBiscuits$18.4bn · 48%Chocolate$12.7bn · 33%Gum and candy$4.1bn · 11%Cheese and grocery$2.4bn · 6%Beverages$1.0bn · 3%Revenue: $38.5bnRevenue$38.5bn · 100%Gross profit: $10.9bnCost of sales: $27.6bnGross profit$10.9bn · 28%Cost of sales$27.6bn · 72%Operating profit: $3.5bnR&D: $0.4bnSelling & admin: $6.8bnOther operating costs: $0.2bnOperating profit$3.5bn · 9%R&D$0.4bn · 1%Selling & admin$6.8bn · 18%Other operating costs$0.2bn · 1%Net income: $2.5bnIncome tax: $0.8bnOther costs: $0.3bnNet income$2.5bn · 6%Income tax$0.8bn · 2%Other costs$0.3bn · 1%
Money map (a Sankey diagram): band widths are to scale. Hover a band for the amount. Source: Mondelez International, Inc. 10-K filings.

Mondelez sold $38.5bn ✓ of snacks and other food in FY2025. Making those products cost $27.6bn ✓. What is left is gross profit, the money kept after paying for what was sold. That came to $10.9bn ✓.

Next come the costs of running the company. Research and development took $0.4bn ✓, and sales, marketing and admin, not counting research, took $6.8bn ✓. Other operating costs took $0.2bn ✓. What remains is operating profit, the profit from the main business, which was $3.5bn ✓. Items outside the main business, such as interest costs and other income, came to -$0.3bn ✓, a net cost. Tax took $0.8bn ✓. That left net income of $2.5bn ✓. Put simply, out of every hundred dollars of sales, Mondelez kept about $6 ✓ as profit.

Out of every $100 customers paid in FY2025…

Making the products and services $72Research and development $1Selling and admin $18Other costs (interest and losses) $1Income tax $2Profit kept $6
💡
Most of each sales dollar went on making the product in FY2025. Cost of sales took $72 ✓ of every $100, up from $61 ✓ in FY2024.

⏱️ Mondelez by the clock

Spread the FY2025 totals evenly over its 365 days and you get this. Source: Mondelez International, Inc. 10-K [5].

🛒
$106m
in sales every day
⏱️
$78
of profit every second
🔬
$1.1m
on research every day
🎁
$13m
handed to shareholders every day

📈How is Mondelez doing?

Mondelez sold more in FY2025 but kept far less of it as operating profit. Sales rose 5.8% ✓ to $38.5bn ✓. Organic net revenue rose 4.3%, as higher net pricing more than offset lower volume and mix 20. Mondelez says volume and mix were unfavorable in every region, reflecting how consumers reacted to price rises and softness in biscuits and baked snacks 20.

Operating margin fell from 17.4% ✓ in FY2024 to 9.2% ✓ in FY2025. Mondelez says the main drivers were unfavorable mark-to-market changes on derivatives, lower adjusted margin, unfavorable acquisition-related items and higher ERP costs 20. Net income was $2.5bn ✓, and free cash flow was $3.2bn ✓.

The latest four quarters show a higher margin. In the four quarters to 30 September 2026, sales were $39.9bn ✓, up 6.0% ✓ on the four quarters before. Operating margin over those four quarters was 13.7% ✓, and free cash flow was $3.7bn ✓. In the third quarter of 2026, net revenues rose 2.3%, organic net revenue rose 2.1%, and volume and mix added 1.8 percentage points 23. Reported operating margin in that quarter jumped from 7.6% to 17.6%, and Mondelez says this came mainly from a favorable swing in mark-to-market on derivatives and higher adjusted margin 2321.

Mondelez's business changed shape in FY2015 and FY2016. It stopped consolidating coffee revenue from July 2015 18. Its 2015 results still held $1,217 million of net revenues from Venezuela, before those subsidiaries left the accounts starting in 2016 11. Mondelez says both changes significantly affect year-to-year comparisons 11. Since then, sales were $25.9bn ✓ in FY2016 and still $25.9bn ✓ in FY2019. They reached $38.5bn ✓ in FY2025. That later figure includes bought businesses such as Chipita 6 and Clif Bar 6, and it leaves out the developed market gum business sold in 2023 3.

📝 The report card

Mondelez earns middle marks for growth and profit, a good mark for steadiness, and low marks for cash and its balance sheet. Every company is graded on the same fixed scale, so an A means the same thing on every page. The strip shows where Mondelez (orange) and its 4 peers land; further right is better.

C

Growth

Sales growth per year, last 3 fiscal years
7.0% · peer median 0.4%
#1 of 5 in the peer group
A ≥ 15.0%B ≥ 10.0%C ≥ 5.0%D ≥ 0.0%F below 0.0%

Mondelez's sales grew 7.0% ✓ a year over its last three fiscal years, which earns a C ✓. That stretch includes deals: Clif Bar joined in August 2022 6, Ricolino in November 2022 6, and the developed market gum business was sold in October 2023 3. Hershey grew 3.9% ✓ a year over its own last three fiscal years, a D ✓.

Why this measure? (higher is better)

Growing sales is the engine of a business. Mature giants rarely grow fast, so 5% a year already earns a C.

C

Profitability

Operating margin, last 3 years combined
13.9% · peer median 13.2%
#2 of 5 in the peer group
A ≥ 30.0%B ≥ 20.0%C ≥ 10.0%D ≥ 5.0%F below 5.0%

Over the last three years combined, Mondelez kept 13.9% ✓ of sales as operating profit, a C ✓. Hershey kept more at 20.3% ✓, a B ✓, while PepsiCo kept a little less at 13.1% ✓. FY2025 alone was much lower, at 9.2% ✓.

Why this measure? (higher is better)

Operating margin is the share of each sales dollar left after running the business. Software and platforms often clear 30%; hardware makers usually sit below 10%.

D

Cash generation

Free cash flow as a share of sales, last 3 years combined
9.3% · peer median 11.9%
#4 of 5 in the peer group
A ≥ 20.0%B ≥ 15.0%C ≥ 10.0%D ≥ 5.0%F below 5.0%

Over the last three years combined, Mondelez turned 9.3% ✓ of sales into free cash flow, a D ✓. Hershey turned 15.6% ✓ into free cash flow, a B ✓, and the peer median was 11.9% ✓.

Why this measure? (higher is better)

Free cash flow is the cash left after paying for factories, data centres and equipment. It funds dividends, buybacks and new bets.

F

Balance sheet

Net cash (cash and investments minus borrowings; leases and stakes in other companies not counted) as a share of a year's sales
-46.0% · peer median -52.5%
#3 of 5 in the peer group
A ≥ 20.0%B ≥ 5.0%C ≥ -10.0%D ≥ -30.0%F below -30.0%

At the end of FY2025, Mondelez's cash and investments minus its borrowings (leases not counted) equalled -46.0% ✓ of a year's sales, an F ✓. In dollars, net cash was -$17.7bn ✓ at that date, meaning more borrowings than cash. Hershey, at -38.3% ✓, also earns an F ✓.

Why this measure? (higher is better)

More cash than debt gives a company room to ride out bad years. Some debt is normal; a lot of it makes a company fragile.

B

Steadiness

How much yearly sales growth swings (standard deviation, up to 10 years)
7.3% · peer median 4.4%
#5 of 5 in the peer group
A ≤ 5.0%B ≤ 8.0%C ≤ 12.0%D ≤ 18.0%F above 18.0%

Mondelez's yearly growth rates swing with a standard deviation of 7.3% ✓, which earns a B ✓. That measure includes FY2016's growth of -12.5% ✓, and Mondelez says coffee leaving in 2015 and Venezuela leaving from 2016 significantly affect year-to-year comparisons 11.

Why this measure? (lower is better)

Steady growers are easier to plan around. Big swings mean sales depend on product cycles, the economy or one-off events.

🧑‍🏫 How the grades work
  1. Same scale for everyone. Each measure has fixed cut-offs (shown under each strip). Clear the A line and you get an A, whatever your peers do.
  2. Three years together. Profitability and cash generation add up the last three fiscal years before dividing, so one unusual year counts for less than it would on its own (a year much bigger than the others still weighs most).
  3. Peers for context. The rank shows how Mondelez compares with the group. Companies within 0.1 percentage point share a rank.
  4. Same source. Every company's figures come from its own latest annual report (10-K), so fiscal years end in different months.
  5. Judgement, openly stated. The cut-offs are QuantVantage.ai's view of what good looks like for a large, established company. They are not a forecast or a recommendation.

11 years at a glance

Revenue
$38.5bn
FY2025
Revenue by fiscal yearFY2015: $29.6bnFY2016: $25.9bnFY2017: $25.9bnFY2018: $25.9bnFY2019: $25.9bnFY2020: $26.6bnFY2021: $28.7bnFY2022: $31.5bnFY2023: $36.0bnFY2024: $36.4bnFY2025: $38.5bnFY2015FY2025
Operating margin
9.2%
FY2025
Operating marginFY2015FY2025
Free cash flow
$3.2bn
FY2025
Free cash flow by fiscal yearFY2015: $2.2bnFY2016: $1.6bnFY2017: $1.6bnFY2018: $2.9bnFY2019: $3.0bnFY2020: $3.1bnFY2021: $3.2bnFY2022: $3.0bnFY2023: $3.6bnFY2024: $3.5bnFY2025: $3.2bnFY2015FY2025
Net cash
-$17.7bn
end of FY2025
Net cash by fiscal yearFY2015: -$14.8bnFY2016: -$14.0bnFY2017: -$15.7bnFY2018: -$14.6bnFY2019: -$15.5bnFY2020: -$13.7bnFY2021: -$14.2bnFY2022: -$20.6bnFY2023: -$15.4bnFY2024: -$14.3bnFY2025: -$17.7bnFY2015FY2025

Where the cash goes

Over the 11 fiscal years from FY2015 to FY2025, Mondelez handed back more cash than its free cash flow. It spent $42.4bn ✓ on buybacks and dividends, against $30.9bn ✓ of free cash flow. In FY2025 alone, payouts equalled 151% ✓ of free cash flow. In the first nine months of 2026, it generated $1.7 billion of free cash flow and returned $2.8 billion to shareholders 23.

Free cash flow vs cash returned to shareholders$0bnFY2016 free cash flow $1.6bnFY2016 buybacks + dividends $3.7bnFY16FY2017 free cash flow $1.6bnFY2017 buybacks + dividends $3.4bnFY17FY2018 free cash flow $2.9bnFY2018 buybacks + dividends $3.4bnFY18FY2019 free cash flow $3.0bnFY2019 buybacks + dividends $3.0bnFY19FY2020 free cash flow $3.1bnFY2020 buybacks + dividends $3.1bnFY20FY2021 free cash flow $3.2bnFY2021 buybacks + dividends $3.9bnFY21FY2022 free cash flow $3.0bnFY2022 buybacks + dividends $4.0bnFY22FY2023 free cash flow $3.6bnFY2023 buybacks + dividends $3.7bnFY23FY2024 free cash flow $3.5bnFY2024 buybacks + dividends $4.7bnFY24FY2025 free cash flow $3.2bnFY2025 buybacks + dividends $4.9bnFY25
Free cash flow vs cash returned to shareholders$0bnFY2020 free cash flow $3.1bnFY2020 buybacks + dividends $3.1bnFY20FY2021 free cash flow $3.2bnFY2021 buybacks + dividends $3.9bnFY21FY2022 free cash flow $3.0bnFY2022 buybacks + dividends $4.0bnFY22FY2023 free cash flow $3.6bnFY2023 buybacks + dividends $3.7bnFY23FY2024 free cash flow $3.5bnFY2024 buybacks + dividends $4.7bnFY24FY2025 free cash flow $3.2bnFY2025 buybacks + dividends $4.9bnFY25
■ Free cash flow   ■ Buybacks + dividends. Source: Mondelez International, Inc. 10-K filings.

🧮Ratios 101: what are Mondelez's key financial ratios?

Ratios shrink Mondelez's big numbers into easy comparisons. Coffee left its accounts in July 2015 18, and Mondelez says the coffee and Venezuela changes significantly affect year-to-year comparisons of its results 11. A ratio divides one number by another so companies of any size can be compared. Each card shows the formula with Mondelez's real FY2025 numbers, the peer median and the trend.

💰 Profitability: how much of each sale is kept?

Higher is better

Gross margin

28.4%
Gross profit$10.9bn$38.5bnSales=28.4%

What is left from each sale after paying to make the product or deliver the service.

👉 At 28.4% ✓, Mondelez is below the 33.6% ✓ peer median and down from 39.1% ✓ in FY2024.

📏 Rule of thumb: Above 40% usually signals pricing power or a big software or services mix.

Peer median 33.6% (4 peers)FY2015 38.8%
Gross margin by fiscal yearFY2015FY2025
Higher is better

Operating margin

9.2%
Operating profit$3.5bn$38.5bnSales=9.2%

What is left after also paying for research, marketing and running the company.

👉 Mondelez's 9.2% ✓ is a little above the 8.5% ✓ peer median, but well below its own 17.4% ✓ of FY2024. Mondelez says the main drivers of that fall were unfavorable mark-to-market changes on derivatives, lower adjusted margin, unfavorable acquisition-related items and higher ERP costs 20.

📏 Rule of thumb: Above 20% is strong for a large company.

Peer median 8.5% (4 peers)FY2015 30.0%
Operating margin by fiscal yearFY2015FY2025
Higher is better

Net margin

6.4%
Net income$2.5bn$38.5bnSales=6.4%

The bottom line: profit after interest and taxes, per dollar of sales.

👉 Mondelez keeps 6.4% ✓ of sales as final profit, above the 3.5% ✓ peer median.

📏 Rule of thumb: Above 15% is strong; one-off tax items can move it in a single year.

Peer median 3.5% (4 peers)FY2015 24.5%
Net margin by fiscal yearFY2015FY2025
It depends

Return on equity (ROE)

9.5%
Net income$2.5bn$25.8bnShareholders' equity=9.5%

Profit earned for each dollar that shareholders have left in the company.

👉 ROE of 9.5% ✓ is close to the 8.9% ✓ peer median, on shareholders' equity of $25.8bn ✓.

📏 Rule of thumb: Around 15% or more is good, but buybacks shrink equity and can make ROE look huge.

Peer median 8.9% (4 peers)FY2015 25.9%
Return on equity (ROE) by fiscal yearFY2015FY2025

⚙️ Efficiency: how hard do the assets work?

Higher is better

Return on assets (ROA)

3.4%
Net income$2.5bn$71.5bnTotal assets=3.4%

Profit earned from everything the company owns, however it was paid for.

👉 ROA of 3.4% ✓ is just above the 3.1% ✓ peer median.

📏 Rule of thumb: Above 10% is strong; banks and factories usually earn less.

Peer median 3.1% (4 peers)FY2015 11.6%
Return on assets (ROA) by fiscal yearFY2015FY2025
Higher is better

Asset turnover

0.5x
Sales$38.5bn$71.5bnTotal assets=0.5x

Dollars of sales squeezed out of each dollar of assets.

👉 Mondelez's sales are 0.5x ✓ the value of everything it owns, below the 0.7x ✓ peer median.

📏 Rule of thumb: Retailers often top 2x; asset-heavy businesses can sit below 0.5x.

Peer median 0.7x (4 peers)FY2015 0.5x
Asset turnover by fiscal yearFY2015FY2025
Lower is better

Inventory days

58 days
Inventory$4.4bn$27.6bnCost of sales× 365=58 days

How many days of products sit in warehouses before they are sold.

👉 Mondelez holds 58 ✓ days of stock, a little below the peer median of 62 ✓ days.

📏 Rule of thumb: Fewer days means less cash tied up and less risk of products going stale.

Peer median 62 days (4 peers)FY2015 53 days
Inventory days by fiscal yearFY2015FY2025

🛟 Safety: could it survive a bad year?

It depends

Current ratio

0.6x
Current assets$13.0bn$21.9bnCurrent liabilities=0.6x

Can short-term assets (cash, money owed by customers, stock) pay the bills due within a year?

👉 Mondelez's 0.6x ✓ means bills due within a year were larger than short-term assets: $21.9bn ✓ against $13.0bn ✓. The peer median is 1.0x ✓.

📏 Rule of thumb: Above 1.0x is the classic comfort line, but cash-rich giants can run below it on purpose.

Peer median 1.0x (4 peers)FY2015 0.8x
Current ratio by fiscal yearFY2015FY2025
Lower is better

Debt to equity

0.8x
Total debt$19.9bn$25.8bnShareholders' equity=0.8x

How much the company has borrowed for each dollar shareholders have in it.

👉 Mondelez's 0.8x ✓ is well below the 1.5x ✓ peer median.

📏 Rule of thumb: Below 1.0x is conservative. Like ROE, it can rise when buybacks shrink equity, even if debt has not changed.

Peer median 1.5x (4 peers)FY2015 0.5x
Debt to equity by fiscal yearFY2015FY2025
Higher is better

Interest cover

5.9x
Operating profit$3.5bn$0.6bnInterest expense=5.9x

How many times over operating profit could pay the year's interest bill.

👉 Operating profit covered interest 5.9x ✓, above the 4.0x ✓ peer median.

📏 Rule of thumb: Above 5x is comfortable; below 2x is a warning sign.

Peer median 4.0x (4 peers)FY2015 14.6x
Interest cover by fiscal yearFY2015FY2025

💵 Cash and owners: where does the money end up?

Higher is better

Cash conversion

1.3x
Free cash flow$3.2bn$2.5bnNet income=1.3x

Does reported profit turn into real cash? Free cash flow is operating cash minus capital spending.

👉 Mondelez turned profit into free cash at 1.3x ✓, above PepsiCo's 0.9x ✓ but below Hershey's 2.1x ✓.

📏 Rule of thumb: Near or above 1.0x means profits are backed by cash.

Peer median 1.5x (2 peers)FY2015 0.3x
Cash conversion by fiscal yearFY2015FY2025
It depends

R&D intensity

1.0%
R&D$0.4bn$38.5bnSales=1.0%

How much of each sales dollar goes into inventing future products.

👉 Mondelez spends 1.0% ✓ of sales on R&D, a little above the 0.8% ✓ peer median.

📏 Rule of thumb: Tech companies often spend 10% to 20%; more is not always better if it does not pay off.

Peer median 0.8% (4 peers)FY2015 1.4%
R&D intensity by fiscal yearFY2015FY2025
Lower is better

Stock pay

0.3%
Share-based pay$0.1bn$38.5bnSales=0.3%

Pay given to staff in shares instead of cash. It is a real cost to owners because it adds shares.

👉 Stock pay is 0.3% ✓ of sales, a little below the 0.4% ✓ peer median.

📏 Rule of thumb: Under 5% of sales is modest for a tech company.

Peer median 0.4% (4 peers)FY2015 0.5%
Stock pay by fiscal yearFY2015FY2025
It depends

Shareholder payout

198.8%
Dividends + buybacks$4.9bn$2.5bnNet income=198.8%

How much of the year's profit was handed back to owners.

👉 Mondelez paid out 198.8% ✓ of FY2025 profit, compared with 104.8% ✓ at PepsiCo and 122.9% ✓ at Hershey. It also paid out 151% ✓ of its free cash flow.

📏 Rule of thumb: Above 100% means it returned more than it earned, using cash savings or debt.

Peer median 113.9% (2 peers)FY2015 63.7%
Shareholder payout by fiscal yearFY2015FY2025

Ratios use fiscal-year-end balance sheet values. Inputs are shown rounded, so dividing them can differ from the result in the last digit. A peer median leaves out peers that do not report the inputs, or where the ratio means nothing (for example, negative shareholders' equity). Rules of thumb are general guides from QuantVantage.ai, not hard limits. No share-price ratios (like price-to-earnings) are shown on this page.

🥊Who are Mondelez's competitors?

Mondelez competes with other snack and food makers, and the overlap differs by category. PepsiCo names Mondelez as a competitor and both sell snacks worldwide 121314. Hershey also sells chocolate 315, and General Mills also sells snack bars 616417. Kraft Heinz shares its Kraft Foods roots 184193.

Peer map: growth vs profitability, bubble size = revenue-5%0%5%10%-20%-10%0%10%Sales growth per year, 3 years →Operating margin →PepsiCo: revenue $93.9bn, growth 2.8%/yr, operating margin 12.2%PEPMondelez: revenue $38.5bn, growth 7.0%/yr, operating margin 9.2%MDLZKraft Heinz: revenue $24.9bn, growth -2.0%/yr, operating margin -18.7%KHCGeneral Mills: revenue $18.4bn, growth -2.9%/yr, operating margin 4.8%GISHershey: revenue $11.7bn, growth 3.9%/yr, operating margin 12.3%HSY
Peer map: growth vs profitability, bubble size = revenue-5%0%5%10%-20%-10%0%10%Sales growth per year, 3 years →Operating margin →PepsiCo: revenue $93.9bn, growth 2.8%/yr, operating margin 12.2%PEPMondelez: revenue $38.5bn, growth 7.0%/yr, operating margin 9.2%MDLZKraft Heinz: revenue $24.9bn, growth -2.0%/yr, operating margin -18.7%KHCGeneral Mills: revenue $18.4bn, growth -2.9%/yr, operating margin 4.8%GISHershey: revenue $11.7bn, growth 3.9%/yr, operating margin 12.3%HSY
Peer map from each company's latest 10-K. Bubble size = revenue. Source: SEC filings [5] [8] [7] [9] [10].
CompanyWhere they competeRevenueGrowth/yr (3y)Op. marginFCF margin
Mondelez (MDLZ, FY2025)Chocolate, biscuits and baked snacks, plus gum and candy, cheese and grocery, and powdered drinks 1$38.5bn7.0%9.2%8.4%
PepsiCo (PEP, FY2025)Snacks worldwide: PepsiCo centers on savory brands such as Lay's and Doritos 121314$93.9bn2.8%12.2%8.2%
Hershey (HSY, FY2025)Chocolate: Hershey calls itself the largest producer of quality chocolate in North America, where Mondelez's chocolate made $436 million in 2025 315$11.7bn3.9%12.3%15.6%
General Mills (GIS, FY2026 to May 2026)Snack bars: Nature Valley, Fiber One and Lärabar against Clif Bar and Perfect Snacks 616417$18.4bn-2.9%4.8%8.8%
Kraft Heinz (KHC, FY2025)Shared Kraft Foods roots and the Philadelphia name; Kraft Heinz lists Philadelphia among its main North American trademarks, and Mondelez's cheese and grocery category had no North American net revenues in 2025 184193$24.9bn-2.0%-18.7%14.7%

Mondelez's performance peer group of market competitors and other companies also includes Nestle and Danone 20. Mondelez says new distribution channels and external manufacturing lower barriers to entry and let smaller competitors gain share more effectively 22.

🧭Mondelez SWOT: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

💪 Strengths

  • Mondelez says its global footprint, scale and brands have helped build market-leading positions across most of its categories 1.
  • Mondelez sells its products in over 150 countries 1, and 76% ✓ of FY2025 sales came from outside the US.
  • No single customer made up 10% or more of net revenues in 2025 1.
  • Sales grew 7.0% ✓ a year over the three fiscal years to FY2025, ahead of Hershey's 3.9% ✓, with deals included in that growth 63.

🩹 Weaknesses

  • Mondelez says its 2025 price rises reduced consumer demand, particularly in the United States and Europe 20.
  • Over the last three years combined, Mondelez turned 9.3% ✓ of sales into free cash flow, a D ✓.
  • At the end of FY2025, net cash was -$17.7bn ✓, meaning more borrowings than cash.
  • In the third quarter of 2026, it recorded $64 million of impairment charges on two European and one North American biscuit and baked snack brands 21.

🚀 Opportunities

  • Emerging markets grew 4.9% organically in the first nine months of 2026, against 0.8% in developed markets 23.
  • On 29 October 2026, Mondelez agreed to buy a majority stake in Undercover Snacks, a US maker of crunchy quinoa crisps 2321.
  • Mondelez has been expanding cakes and pastries, including Milka and Lacta croissants in Europe and Brazil 1.
  • Its SnackFutures hub invents new brands and invests in early-stage snack entrepreneurs 1.

⚠️ Threats

  • Mondelez expects cocoa costs to stay elevated compared with history in the near and medium term, and warns it may not be able to raise prices enough to cover them 21.
  • Mondelez says cocoa supply is exposed to climate, plant health, rules in producing countries and global rules such as the EU Deforestation Regulation 21.
  • Its retail customers are consolidating and forming buying alliances, and it says rapid growth at discounters and online could lower consumer prices 22.
  • Governments have adopted or are considering rules on front-of-pack nutrition labeling, limits on advertising some foods, packaging taxes and single-use plastic bans 1.

🏰Does Mondelez have a moat?

Narrow moatMondelez sells its products in over 150 countries 1, and its brands include Oreo and Cadbury Dairy Milk 1. But it says its 2025 price rises reduced demand, particularly in the United States and Europe 20, and it warns that large retailers can demand lower prices 22.
Brand 4/5
Why 4?

Mondelez says its brands, scale and global footprint have helped build market-leading positions across most of its categories 1. Its brands include Oreo, Ritz and LU 1, and Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone 1. Most of its indefinite-life brands came from buying Nabisco Holdings, Groupe Danone's LU biscuit business, Cadbury and Clif Bar 3. Yet Mondelez says its 2025 price rises reduced consumer demand, particularly in the United States and Europe 20. At 30 September 2026, six brand intangibles carried at a total of $1.6 billion had fair value less than 10% above book value 21.

Switching costs 1/5
Why 1?

Mondelez warns that large retailers can delist its products, cut their shelf space, demand lower prices and offer their own branded and private label products 22. It also says new distribution channels and external manufacturing lower barriers to entry and let smaller competitors gain share more effectively 22.

Network effects 1/5
Why 1?

Mondelez sells through supermarkets, club stores, convenience stores, e-retail platforms and its own websites 1, and one shopper buying a snack does nothing for the next shopper.

Cost advantages and scale 3/5
Why 3?

At 31 December 2025, Mondelez had about 145 manufacturing and processing facilities in 49 countries 1. It lowered manufacturing costs through productivity in 2025 even as raw material costs rose 20. Its performance peer group of market competitors and other companies includes Nestle, Hershey and PepsiCo 20.

Intangibles (patents, licences, regulation) 3/5
Why 3?

Mondelez says its trademarks, patents, recipes and other intellectual property are material to its business, though losing one patent or a group of related patents would not have a material adverse effect 1. After the 2012 spin-off, Mondelez and Kraft Foods Group each granted the other licences to use certain intellectual property in named places 1.

A moat is what keeps rivals from taking a company's customers and profits. Scores are QuantVantage.ai's judgement (5 = strongest), set with the same rubric on every explainer (orange is Mondelez; grey dots are peers).

🔭What should you watch next?

For the full year 2026

2026 outlook

Mondelez's outlook calls for organic net revenue growth of at least 2%, adjusted earnings per share growth of flat to 5% at constant currency, and free cash flow of about $3 billion 23.

Expected first quarter of 2027

Undercover Snacks deal

Mondelez expects its purchase of a majority stake in Undercover Snacks to close in the first quarter of 2027, subject to regulatory approval 21.

Depends on 2025 and 2026 targets

Clif Bar earn-out

Mondelez's earn-out on Clif Bar depends on targets in 2025 and 2026 and could reach up to $2.4 billion 216.

Near and medium term

Cocoa costs

Cocoa costs were lower in 2026 than a year earlier, but Mondelez expects them to stay above historical levels 21. It warns it may not be able to raise prices enough to cover them 21.

Program runs to 31 December 2027

Share buybacks

About $5.8 billion of capacity was left in the share repurchase program at 30 September 2026 21.

📚Learn the words

Revenue (sales)All the money a company takes in from customers before paying any costs.
Organic net revenueSales growth with the effects of buying or selling businesses and of currency moves taken out.
Volume and mixHow much was sold, and whether shoppers picked pricier or cheaper products. It is the part of sales growth that does not come from price.
Gross marginThe share of each sales dollar left after paying to make the product. Higher means each sale is more profitable.
Operating profitProfit from the main business after paying for products, research, marketing and admin, but before interest and tax.
Net incomeThe profit left at the very end, after every cost and tax has been paid.
Free cash flowThe cash a business has left after running itself and buying equipment. It can be used for dividends, buybacks or paying down debt.
DerivativeA financial contract whose value follows something else, such as the price of a raw material.
Mark-to-marketUpdating the value of a contract to today's price. The gain or loss can show up in profit before any cash changes hands.
DeconsolidateTo stop counting a business's sales and costs line by line in a company's own results.
Adjusted marginA profit margin with items the company treats as unusual taken out.
ERPShort for enterprise resource planning: the software a company uses to run its finances, orders and supply chain.
Earn-outExtra money a buyer pays a business's former owners later if the business hits agreed targets.
Indefinite-life brandA brand a company expects to keep earning money with no set end date.
Fair value and book valueFair value is an estimate of what something is worth now. Book value is the amount it is carried at in the company's accounts.
Standard deviationA measure of how far numbers spread around their average. A bigger figure means bigger swings.
Share buybackWhen a company uses its cash to buy back its own shares, so each remaining share owns a slightly bigger piece.
Fiscal yearA company's own accounting year. Mondelez's ends on 31 December 1.
Economic moatA lasting advantage, like a strong brand or high switching costs, that keeps rivals from taking a company's customers.

❓Frequently asked questions about Mondelez

How does Mondelez make money?

Most of Mondelez's sales come from biscuits and chocolate. In FY2025, biscuits brought in $18.4bn ✓ and chocolate $12.7bn ✓. Gum and candy, cheese and grocery, and powdered drinks make up the rest.

Is Mondelez the same company as Kraft?

Mondelez used to be called Kraft Foods Inc. 318. On 1 October 2012 it spun off its North American grocery business as Kraft Foods Group and kept its global snacks business 18. Kraft Heinz was formed in 2015 when Kraft Foods Group merged with H.J. Heinz 1819.

Does Mondelez still hold its coffee investments?

No, Mondelez no longer holds its former coffee investments, after selling its remaining JDE Peet's shares in the fourth quarter of 2024 20. It sold those shares to JAB for €2.2 billion ($2.3 billion) 20. Its coffee businesses had gone into Jacobs Douwe Egberts in July 2015 18.

Who makes Cadbury chocolate in the United States?

Hershey holds a licence from Cadbury UK Limited to make and sell Cadbury products in the United States 15. Mondelez combined with Cadbury Limited in 2010 18.

Did Mondelez try to buy Hershey?

Yes, Mondelez made a preliminary takeover approach, and Hershey's board unanimously rejected it 2425. Hershey confirmed this on 30 June 2016, and Mondelez said on 29 August 2016 that it had ended talks 2425.

Is Mondelez still growing?

Yes, Mondelez's sales are still growing. Sales rose 5.8% ✓ in FY2025. In the four quarters to 30 September 2026, they were up 6.0% ✓ on the four quarters before. In the third quarter of 2026, organic net revenue rose 2.1% 23.

Why does cocoa matter so much to Mondelez?

Cocoa is one of the raw materials Mondelez buys in large quantities 1, and chocolate made up 33% ✓ of its FY2025 sales. Cocoa costs were lower in 2026 than a year earlier, but Mondelez expects them to stay above historical levels in the near and medium term 21.

Does Mondelez pay a dividend?

Yes, Mondelez paid $2.5bn ✓ in dividends in FY2025. It also spent $2.4bn ✓ on buybacks that year.

🎮Play: higher or lower, then test yourself

Higher or lower · round 1 of 6

Figures come from each company's latest annual report (10-K); fiscal years end in different months. Sources: [5] [8] [7] [9] [10].

Score: 0

🧠 Test yourself

5 quick questions. Score: 0 / 5

1. Which category brought in the most sales for Mondelez in FY2025?

Biscuits made up 48% ✓ of sales, ahead of chocolate at 33% ✓.

2. About how much of Mondelez's FY2025 sales came from outside the US?

Sales outside the US made up 76% ✓ of the total in FY2025.

3. Which of these snacks is a PepsiCo brand?

PepsiCo's snacks center on savory brands such as Lay's and Doritos 121314. Oreo and Ritz belong to Mondelez 1, and so does Milka 1.

4. Which company rejected a takeover approach from Mondelez in 2016?

Hershey's board unanimously rejected the preliminary approach, and Mondelez said on 29 August 2016 that it had ended talks 2425.

5. What business did Mondelez spin off in 2012?

On 1 October 2012, Mondelez spun off its North American grocery business, Kraft Foods Group 18.

🔎Sources and method

Every figure comes from a source listed here or is calculated from those sources (marked ✓). Company financials come from the reports each company files with the SEC (10-K annual and 10-Q quarterly reports). Peer grades rank the same measures across the company and its peers. This page contains no share-price data and no valuation.

  1. Mondelez International Form 10-K for 2025 — Item 1: general, strategy, footprint, segments, customers, distribution, competition, IP, regulation, employees, officers (accessed 2026-11-08)
  2. Mondelez (MDLZ) Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025, filed 2026-02-04 — revenue and cost of sales by product, segment and geography (accessed 2026-11-04)
  3. Mondelez International Form 10-K for 2025 — Notes: incorporation, advertising and R&D expense, acquisitions and divestitures, net revenue by product category and region (accessed 2026-11-08)
  4. Mondelez International: our brands — Brand list by category (accessed 2026-11-08)
  5. SEC EDGAR companyfacts: Mondelez (MDLZ) — annual 10-K facts (accessed 2026-11-04)
  6. Mondelez International Form 10-K for 2022 — Chipita, Clif Bar and Ricolino acquisitions, planned gum and Halls divestitures, Clif Bar earn-out years (accessed 2026-11-08)
  7. SEC EDGAR companyfacts: HERSHEY CO (HSY) — annual 10-K facts (accessed 2026-11-04)
  8. SEC EDGAR companyfacts: PEPSICO INC (PEP) — annual 10-K facts (accessed 2026-11-04)
  9. SEC EDGAR companyfacts: GENERAL MILLS INC (GIS) — annual 10-K facts (accessed 2026-11-04)
  10. SEC EDGAR companyfacts: Kraft Heinz Co (KHC) — annual 10-K facts (accessed 2026-11-04)
  11. Mondelez International Form 10-K for 2016 — Keurig transaction, revenue change in 2015 and 2016, coffee revenue impact, Venezuelan net revenues (accessed 2026-11-08)
  12. PepsiCo Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025 — Item 1 competition: named competitors, US liquid refreshment share, bases of competition (accessed 2026-11-08)
  13. PepsiCo Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025 — Item 1 overview, incorporation, countries and the six reportable segments (accessed 2026-11-08)
  14. Mondelez International Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025 — Item 1 core business and snack categories (accessed 2026-11-08)
  15. The Hershey Company Form 10-K for 2025 — Business description, segments, Cadbury licence (accessed 2026-11-08)
  16. Mondelez International Form 10-K for 2020 — Give & Go, Perfect Snacks, Middle East and Africa cheese sale, Hu, JDE Peet's offering, one-quarter lag recast (accessed 2026-11-08)
  17. General Mills Form 10-K for fiscal 2026 — North America Retail categories, trademarks, competition (accessed 2026-11-08)
  18. Mondelez International Form 10-K for 2015 — Spin-off of Kraft Foods Group, former name, Cadbury 2010, coffee business transactions, Venezuela deconsolidation, Vietnam biscuit operation (accessed 2026-11-08)
  19. The Kraft Heinz Company Form 10-K for 2025 — 2015 merger, trademarks by segment (accessed 2026-11-08)
  20. Mondelez International Form 10-K for 2025 — Item 7 MD&A: recent developments, JDE Peet's and Keurig Dr Pepper transactions, ERP programme, European Commission matter, results, performance peer group (accessed 2026-11-08)
  21. Mondelez International Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 — Undercover Snacks agreement, restructuring, brand impairments, share repurchase programme, tariffs, cocoa, Russia, Ukraine, Middle East, Clif Bar earn-out (accessed 2026-11-08)
  22. Mondelez International Form 10-K for 2025 — Item 1A risk factors: competition, channels, retail customers, intellectual property (accessed 2026-11-08)
  23. Mondelez International Q3 2026 earnings release (8-K Exhibit 99.1, October 29, 2026) — Q3 and year-to-date results by region, 2026 outlook, capital return (accessed 2026-11-08)
  24. The Hershey Company Form 8-K filed June 30, 2016 — Rejected approach from Mondelez (accessed 2026-11-08)
  25. Mondelez International Form 8-K filed August 29, 2016 — End of talks with The Hershey Company (accessed 2026-11-08)
  26. SEC EDGAR companyfacts: Mondelez (MDLZ) — quarterly 10-Q/10-K facts (accessed 2026-11-04)
  27. Mondelez International Form 8-K filed October 29, 2026 — Cover page: state of incorporation, principal executive offices (accessed 2026-11-08)
  28. Mondelez International Form 10-K for 2017 — CEO succession (accessed 2026-11-08)
  29. Mondelez International Form 8-K filed June 18, 2026 — Appointment of Amit Banati as CFO; Chair and CEO title (accessed 2026-11-08)
  30. SEC EDGAR companyfacts: Mondelez (MDLZ) — balance sheet at 2026-09-30 (accessed 2026-11-04)