DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ 12 portfolio companies report earnings in the week ahead. What we want to hear from each
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +15 min

The action quickly and sharply reversed back to the upside Friday after blowout earnings reports from Alphabet and Microsoft . In the week ahead, earnings are likely to drive the action again, though we'll get a few important macroeconomic reports. Earnings: We've got the biggest week of the earnings season ahead of us, with 12 Club holdings set to report. Eli Lilly 's report Tuesday morning continues to be all about sales of type-2 diabetes treatment Mounjaro and weight-loss drug Zepbound. In DuPont 's report Wednesday morning, we're looking for a continued rebound in its semiconductor business following a sequential increase last quarter.

Persons: Ford, we'll, Dow Jones, We've, Buckle, Eaton, Eli Lilly, Lilly, We're, Estee Lauder, Fabrizio Freda, we've, Linde, Bausch, Royal Philips, Woodward, SIRI, Archer, Johnson, Stanley Black, Decker, BAX, Cardinal Health, Parker, Belden, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim Organizations: Nasdaq, Microsoft, Meta, Google Search, Big Tech, Nvidia, Broadcom, Ford Motor, Honeywell, Danaher, Labor Department, Labor, PMI, Services PMI, GE Healthcare, Amazon Web Services, Starbucks, Deutsche Bank, DuPont, Bausch Health, U.S ., Appeals, Apple, iPhones, Vision, ON Semiconductor, Resource Partners, Franklin Resources, Paramount, Transocean Ltd, Semiconductors, Arch Capital, Logitech International, Lattice Semiconductor, F5 Networks, Sanmina Corporation, GE HealthCare, PayPal, 3M Company, McDonalds, Enterprise Products Partners, Cola Company, Melco Resorts, Entertainment, SiriusXM Holdings, Oatly, American Electric Power Company, Leidos Holdings, Marathon Petroleum, Daniels, Midland Co, Equitrans Midstream Corporation, HSBC Holdings, HSBC, Devices, Caesars Entertainment, Lumen Technologies, Mondelez, Pfizer, CVS Health, Barrick, Mastercard Inc, Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, Kraft Heinz Company, Marriott International, Ares, Generac Holdings, Johnson Controls, Cenovus Energy Inc, Qualcomm, Devon Energy, Paycom, Axcelis Technologies, Coeur D'Alene Mines, Sunnova Energy International, MGM Resorts International, MGM, Solar Inc, Oil, Allstate, Co, Tenable Holdings, Enovix Corporation, Gladstone Capital, Avis Budget Group, eBay, EBAY, LIN, Novo Nordisk, Natural Resources, PENN Entertainment, Apache, ConocoPhillips, InMode Ltd, Baxter International, Cardinal, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Apollo Global Management, LLC, Cinemark Inc, Dominion Energy, Coterra Energy, Coinbase, Bill.com Holdings, Booking Holdings, United States Steel, AXT Inc, Materials, Energy, Hershey Company, XPO Logistics, Cboe, American Pipeline, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Brookfield Business Partners, Brookfield Renewable Corporation, Magna International, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, Traders, New York Stock Exchange, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: U.S, megaprojects, China, Eaton, Corning, Coeur D'Alene, Albemarle, ALB, Novo, New York

☆ Cocoa prices just hit a record high. Here's what's driving the gains and what it means for chocolate makers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

If you think chocolate prices this Valentine's Day were more expensive than usual, it's not you. Year to date, futures contracts are up nearly 27%, with cocoa prices rising in six of the past seven weeks. Here's a breakdown of what's driving cocoa prices higher and how it impacts the investment case around two major chocolate stocks. Doshi thinks cocoa prices could sell off about 20%, taking them to around $4,500 to $4,800 per ton. In an interview with CNBC last week, he underscored the rising cocoa price outlook as the key driver for his lower rating.

Persons: Humza Hussain, El, Aakash Doshi, Doshi, Bernstein, Bruno Monteyne, … There's, Mondelez, Alexia Howard, Hershey, Michele Buck, Bernstein's Howard, Howard, I'd, Bryan Spillane, Morgan Stanley, Pamela Kaufman, Bank of America's Spillane Organizations: Asset Management, CNBC, Hershey, Citi, 2H, Street, Bank of America, Bank of, Cadbury Locations: Mondelez, El Niño, Ghana, Ivory, Nigeria, Europe

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Target, AT&T, Tesla & more
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Here are Thursday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Morgan Stanley downgrades ZoomInfo to equal weight from overweight Morgan Stanley said it sees a slowing recovery for the software company. Morgan Stanley reiterates General Motors as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by the auto giant and that GM shares are "cheap." Mizuho reiterates Nvidia as buy Mizuho said it's standing by the stock heading into its GTC Conference in March. Morgan Stanley names Docebo a top pick Morgan Stanley named the ed-tech company a top pick. " Morgan Stanley reiterates Bloom Energy as overweight Morgan Stanley said the energy company is an "underappreciated AI winner."

Persons: Morgan Stanley downgrades ZoomInfo, Morgan Stanley, Oppenheimer, AAPL, it's, Mizuho, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Redburn, Tesla, Daiwa, Jefferies, StoneCo, Wells, JPMorgan downgrades Lennox, LII, Docebo, Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, Kate McShane, Wolfe, Cash Organizations: OW, Apple, Motors, Nvidia, Conference, Citi, Qualcomm, Samsung, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche, Humana, Microsoft, Rockwell Automation, Rockwell, JPMorgan, UBS, SilverBow Resources, Regency, Kraft, Target, RBC downgrades New York Community Bancorp, RBC, New, Community Bancorp, Bloom Energy, Boston Scientific, Mizuho Locations: Boston

☆ 10 of our stocks report earnings next week. Here's what we want to see from each
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +16 min

All three major averages posted gains for the third consecutive week, lifted by solid quarterly earnings and positive economic data. Earnings season ramps up next week, with five of the Super Six mega-cap stocks delivering results. Employment numbers are the most important economic data, with Friday's January nonfarm payrolls report carrying the most weight. The January ISM Manufacturing report on Thursday and December's factory orders report Friday are expected to show the sector still in contraction mode. But earnings and commentary this week from peer Sartorious made us encouraged about a return to growth in 2024.

Persons: nonfarm, December's, Sartorious, We've, Stanley Black, Decker, We're, We'd, Royal Philips, Crane, Woodward, ServisFirst, Cadence Bancorporation, CADE, Johnson, Phillips, Avery Dennison, Columbus McKinnon, Robinson, SIRI, Cardinal Health, Parker, DOV, Pitney Bowes, Ferrari N.V, CSW, COLM, W.W, Grainger, Dwight Co, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Tim Cook, Justin Sullivan Organizations: Gross, Procter, Gamble, Gillette, Super, Consumer, JPM Healthcare, Amazon, Microsoft, Honeywell, Aerospace, Solutions, Apple Watch, Masimo, Vision Pro, Franklin Resources, Resource Partners, Bank of Marin Bancorp, Bank7 Corp, Pacific Premier Bancorp Inc, Provident Financial Holdings, Dynex, Cliffs Inc, Nucor Corp, Whirlpool Corp, F5 Networks, Capital Southwest Corp, Harbors Investment Corp, Crane Co, Payne, Equity, Heartland Financial, Cadence, FinWise Bancorp, Five Star Bancorp, PotlatchDeltic Corporation, Sanmina Corporation, Pfizer, General Motors Corp, United Parcel Service, JetBlue Airways Corporation, Smith Corp, Marathon Petroleum Corp, HCA Healthcare, Oshkosh Corporation, SYSCO Corp, Danaher Corp, Johnson Controls, M.D.C . Holdings, Commvault Systems Inc, Hope Bancorp, Hubbell Incorporated, Malibu Boats, Polaris Industries, Inc, Camden National Corp, Cambridge Bancorp, Microsoft Corp, Starbucks Corp, Devices, Electronic Arts Inc, Juniper Networks, Stryker Corp, Lending, Canadian, Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited, Mondelez, Chubb Corporation, Modine Manufacturing, Partners, Management, Hawaiian Holdings, Manhattan Associates, Unum Group, UNM, Axos, Enova, Boston Properties, Boeing Co, Novo Nordisk, Mastercard Inc, Roper Technologies, Boston Scientific Corporation, MarketAxess Holdings, Fisher, Aptiv PLC, Hess Corp, Nasdaq, United Microelectronics Corp, Rockwell Automation, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd, Avery, Avery Dennison Corp, Extreme Networks, Otis Worldwide Corporation, OTIS, Columbus, Columbus McKinnon Corp, Central Pacific Financial Corp, Brinker International, Fortive Corporation, Qualcomm, Technology, Metlife, Hanover Insurance, Barn Holdings, CONMED Corporation, DLH Holdings Corp, Meritage Homes Corporation, Honeywell International, Eaton Corp, Altria, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, Merck, Co, Enterprise Products Partners, Dorian LPG, SiriusXM Holdings, Cardinal, Hannifin Corporation, Allegheny Technologies Incorporated, Tractor Supply Company, Trane Technologies, Dover Corp, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Brunswick Corporation, Dickinson, Canada Goose Holdings, Kirby Corp, WEC Energy Group, WestRock Company, Allegro MicroSystems, Ball Corporation, Broadridge Financial, BrightSphere Investment Group, CMS Energy Corp, Lancaster Colony Corp, Rogers Communications Inc, Sanofi, Apple, Atlassian Corporation, United States Steel Corp, Corp, Adtalem Global, Homes, DXC Technology Company, Eastman Chemical Company, Gen, Post Holdings, America, Columbia Sportswear Company, Exxon Mobil Corp, Chevron Corporation, Myers Squibb Co, CIGNA Corp, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Charter Communications, AON, Cboe, Dwight, Banco Santander, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, Apple Vision, Getty Locations: China, East, United States, Europe, Cleveland, Alexandria, California, Corning, Canadian Pacific, Teradyne, TER, Novo, Hanover, PBI, Skechers U.S.A, Bristol, Chile

☆ These dividend-growing stocks are ripe for the picking in 2024, Morgan Stanley says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Dividend-growing stocks offer investors the ultimate of benefits: the prospect of rising income and stock price appreciation, Morgan Stanley found. Tech isn't usually associated with dividend income, but some semiconductor-related stocks made it to Morgan Stanley's list. Broadcom , an artificial intelligence beneficiary whose shares are up 88% in the past year, was also highlighted on Morgan Stanley's list of dividend ideas. Finally, Mondelez International , maker of Sour Patch Kids candy and Oreo cookies, made it to Morgan Stanley's list of dividend growers. Other names that made Morgan Stanley's list of companies that have raised their dividends include Accenture , Microsoft , Marathon Petroleum and D.R.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Todd Castagno, Castagno, Morgan Stanley's, Lam, Atif Malik, Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley's Pamela Kaufman, Mondelez Organizations: Federal Reserve, Equity, Tech, Lam Research, FactSet, Citi, Broadcom, Mondelez, Accenture, Microsoft, Marathon Petroleum Locations: U.S, Horton

☆ December's 'best-in-class' stocks include this obesity beneficiary, Wall Street analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

An obesity beneficiary and a snack foods company are just a few of the top stocks to buy in December, analysts said this week. Wall Street research firms named a slew of companies that they believe have upside heading into the years end. Obin said the company has a "preponderance" of margin tailwinds for 2024, including "differentiated auto exposure, underappreciated margin expansion opportunities, and best-in-class execution." "We are including BUY-rated EL in our research team's Best-of-Breed Bison initiative, which focuses on long-term best-in-class companies with sustainable competitive moats," analyst Linda Bolton Weiser said earlier this week. Estee Lauder — DA Davidson, buy rating "We are including BUY-rated EL in our research team's Best-of-Breed Bison initiative, which focuses on long-term best-in-class companies with sustainable competitive moats.

Persons: Estee Lauder, Gracell Biotechnologies, Eli Lilly, Andrew Obin, Obin, it's, Nik Modi, Modi, MDLZ, Mondelez, LSEG, Estee Lauder DA Davidson, Linda Bolton Weiser, Bolton Weiser, Gracell, Eli Lilly — Morgan Stanley, Estee Lauder —, Davidson Organizations: CNBC, ITT, Gracell, Bank of America, RBC, ISI, pharma, ITT — Bank of America

☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Rivian, Nvidia, Boeing, Affirm, Datadog, Amazon & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Here are Tuesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: UBS downgrades ChargePoint to neutral from buy UBS said it's cautious on the EV charging company's growth outlook. " Citi reiterates Nvidia as buy Citi said it's sticking with its buy rating on shares of Nvidia. " Wells Fargo downgrades Booz Allen Hamilton to equal weight from overweight Wells said investors should wait for a better entry point for the defense contractor. Raymond James upgrades Crocs to strong buy from outperform Raymond James said it sees an attractive entry point for the show company. Wells Fargo reiterates Amazon as overweight Wells said international trends for Amazon remain healthy.

Persons: UBS downgrades ChargePoint, it's, Wells, Booz Allen Hamilton, Bernstein, Raymond James, Crocs, CROX's, Estee Lauder, Jefferies, underperform Jefferies, Evercore, Rivian, Piper Sandler downgrades Shopify, Piper, Piper Sandler, Canaccord, TD Cowen, Datadog, TD, Truist, it's bullish, Ingersoll Rand Organizations: UBS downgrades, UBS, JPMorgan, Apple, Citi, Nvidia, HSBC, RBC, Boeing, Lexeo Therapeutics, Bank of America, Virtu, Logistics, Industry Locations: U.S, DDOG, India, Ingersoll

— Lisa Kailai Han 7:07 a.m. — Lisa Kailai Han 6:48 a.m. "At current levels, we believe the risk/reward skews to the downside," wrote analyst Paul Lejuez. — Lisa Kailai Han 6:05 a.m. — Lisa Kailai Han

Persons: Robert Ford Aguilar, Aguilar, Lisa Kailai Han, Rachel Vatnsdal, GeoMx, Vatnsdal, skews, Paul Lejuez, — Lisa Kailai Han, Nik Modi, Raymond James, Matt Roberts, headwinds, Roberts, Ashwani Verma, Verma, Morgan Stanley, Micron Morgan Stanley, Joseph Moore's, Moore, Amit Mehrotra, Mehrotra, Sangita Jain, Jain, Fred Imbert Organizations: CNBC, Monday, UBS, Teva Pharmaceutical, Bloom Energy, Bank of America, Arcos Dorados Bank of America, Arcos Dorados, ARCO, JPMorgan downgrades, JPMorgan, U.S, District, Prognosys, 10X Genomics, Citi, RBC, RBC Capital Markets, UBS downgrades Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Digital, Micron, Western, Deutsche Bank, BE Locations: America, Caribbean, Argentine, Delaware, NSTG, U.S, Europe, Mondelez, narcolepsy

☆ Here are Monday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Tesla, Dollar Tree, Mondelez, Teva, Ulta, Carnival & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here are Monday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Deutsche Bank reiterates Saia as buy Deutsche said the transports company has "earnings power." JMP downgrades Okta to market perform from market outperform JMP downgraded the stock after a recent security incident. "We downgrade our rating to Market Perform from Under Review (Market Outperform prior) on Okta, Inc. in the wake of the most recent security incident announced on October 20." Wells Fargo reiterates Dollar Tree as overweight Wells said it's standing by its overweight rating on the stock heading into earnings next week. Melius upgrades Carnival to buy from hold Melius said it's "hard to not become incrementally bullish" on the stock.

Persons: Saia, Key, Wells, DLTR, Raymond James downgrades Weyerhaeuser, Raymond James, Redburn, Bernstein, Tesla, underperform Bernstein, Needham, Aston Martin, Jefferies, Pulte, Melius Organizations: Deutsche Bank, Deutsche, Bloom Energy, Clean Tech, Citi, New, Ulta Citi, Inc, Dominion, Weyerhaeuser, UBS, Waste Management, Novartis, EV, Pulte Group, RBC, GE Healthcare, Nvidia

☆ Branding’s corporate titans face moment of truth
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Aimee Donnellan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Now for the first time this century, sales volumes at the big consumer goods manufacturers are falling. In the first nine months of the year, Kraft Heinz said the quantity of its sold items declined by nearly 6 percentage points year-on-year. That’s likely to allow Nestlé, Kraft Heinz and Unilever to see flat or modest increases in 2023 sales, LSEG data shows. Earlier this year, outgoing Kraft Heinz Chief Executive Miguel Patricio said the company lost market share to a branded competitor that spent more. Unilever, Nestlé and Kraft Heinz have all pointed to a slowing of price growth in the coming year.

Persons: Kraft Heinz, Nestlé, ’, Xavier Roger, Kraft, what’s, John Furner, Miguel Patricio, Mars, ”, François, EY, George Hay, Streisand Neto, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Consumer, Kraft, Unilever, Danone, ’, United Nations, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Nestlé, Kraft Heinz, Target, Reuters Graphics, Obesity, Mondelez, Walmart, “, Thomson Locations: U.S, Europe, Australia, Norway, Chocolat, London

☆ Cramer: Diversification is crushing investors this year. Will 2024 be different?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

The stock of Club holding Morgan Stanley (MS) dropped to $70 from $100 before bouncing back to $80 when interest rates recently peaked. Morgan Stanley and Schwab did nothing bad or shameful, but their multiples are shadows of their former selves. At least Morgan Stanley has a nice dividend yield of 4.25%. Key, Huntington, First Horizon, Morgan Stanley and Schwab are all good franchises that are regarded as cheap. The Morgan Stanley headquarters is seen in New York City on Jan. 17, 2023.

Persons: It's, Huntington Bancshares, Stephen Steinour, Chris Gorman, Bryan Jordan, Morgan Stanley, That's, Charles Schwab, Schwab, We're, Macy's, Albert Bourla, Myers, Meyers, Eli Lilly, let's, Mills, Campbell Soup, WK Kellogg, McCormick, Neutrogena, Johnson, Edwards, Zimmer Biomet, Becton Dickenson, Baxter, BAX, Ford, Hess, Tesla, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Michael M Organizations: Dominion, Federal Reserve, Nordstrom, Pfizer, Bristol, Myers, Hostess Brands, Novo Nordisk, PepsiCo, Hershey, Brands, Spice, Johnson, Moderna, American Electric Power, Duke Energy, Motors, JetBlue, EOG Resources, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, Nvidia, Apple, Federal Trade Commission, CNBC, Santiago, Getty Locations: Huntington, Memphis, Tennessee, Toronto, United States, Celgene, Bristol, New York City

☆ Mars is buying Britain’s Hotel Chocolat in £534 million deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Mars is buying Hotel Chocolat in a deal that values Britain’s largest independent chocolate maker at £534 million ($661 million) and could boost its growth prospects outside of the United Kingdom. Hotel Chocolat was founded in 1993 by entrepreneurs Angus Thirlwell and Peter Harris who “were on a mission to make chocolate exciting again,” according to its website. In the most recent financial year, Hotel Chocolat posted what it described as “disappointing” financial results. The company’s revenue declined 10% to £205 million ($254 million) and it reported a loss of £6.2 million ($7.7 million). “Hotel Chocolat, whilst expensive, is proper chocolate.

Persons: London CNN —, Jonathan De Mello, Angus Thirlwell, Peter Harris, “, Chocolat, Thirlwell, ”, Kraft, ” Susannah Streeter, Hargreaves Lansdown, Mars Organizations: London CNN, United Kingdom ., Chocolat’s, JDM Retail, Twitter, Kraft Foods, Mondelez, Mars, Hargreaves Locations: United Kingdom, Chocolat, London, Japan, Caribbean, American, Birmingham

☆ Mondelez hikes annual forecasts for third time this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Mondelez International logo and stock graph are seen displayed in this illustration picture taken July 26, 2021. Picture taken July 26, 2021. Shares of the Chicago-based snack maker rose 3% in after-hours trading as it also beat quarterly net revenue estimates. Mondelez's organic net revenue for the full year is expected to grow 14% to 15% compared with a prior expectation of a more than 12% growth. Quarterly net revenue was $9.03 billion in the third quarter ended Sept. 30, from $7.76 billion a year earlier.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Kraft Heinz, Savyata Mishra, Krishna Chandra Organizations: REUTERS, Mondelez, Thomson Locations: Chicago, Bengaluru

☆ Jobs and earnings are major themes next week as we consider more portfolio moves
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

But in the end, it's fundamentals that drive earnings and earnings that drive stock prices. Looking ahead to next week, we'll get several important macroeconomic updates along with nine Club earnings reports. Economic releases Next week is Jobs Friday when we get the government's monthly nonfarm payrolls report. Club stock earnings Club name Caterpillar (CAT) reports third-quarter results before the opening bell Tuesday. DuPont (DD) is set to report earnings.

Persons: it's, we'll, nonfarm payrolls, We'll, Estee Lauder, Eli Lilly, BUD, Jerome Powell, Kraft Heinz, WEN, Papa John's, Dwight Co, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Brendan Mcdermid Organizations: Caterpillar, GE Healthcare, DuPont, Bausch Health, Starbucks, Apple Watch, VF Corp, GE HealthCare, Pfizer, JetBlue, Anheuser, Busch InBev, Devices, Caesars Entertainment, Cruise, CVS Health, Brinker International, Yum Brands, PayPal, Qualcomm, Mondelez, Novo Nordisk, Barrick, Penn Entertainment, Paramount Global, Marriott, Ferrari, Molson Coors, TAP, Coinbase, Natural Resources, Booking Holdings, International, Monster Beverage, Health, Resources, Dwight, Restaurant Brands, Sempra Energy, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, Traders, New York Stock Exchange Locations: North America, China, New York City, U.S

☆ What to expect when beer king Constellation Brands reports earnings Thursday morning
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Lots of Wall Street firms are getting out ahead of this week's earnings from Constellation Brands (STZ) with price target increases. At the time, we were optimistic and increased our price target on the Modelo and Corona maker to $270 per share from $260. When measuring beer growth, he assesses how much shelf space companies get every year and how quickly those products fly off the shelves. All these factors "drive solid beer growth even as the macro environment gets worse," Falorni said. Wedbush also thinks Constellation will be able to weather those macro consumer storms and continue to drive earnings and revenue growth.

Persons: It's, we'll, We'd, Filippo Falorni, there's, Falorni, Wedbush, Wells, Goldman Sachs, Jim Cramer, Bill Newlands, Elliott, Luca Zaramella, Bill Giles, Sands, Jim, Elliot, Jim Cramer's Organizations: Constellation Brands, Modelo, Revenue, Federal Reserve, Constellation, Citi, CNBC, JPMorgan, Modelo Especial, Elliott Management, Club, Mondelez, AutoZone, Getty Locations: Corona, Wells Fargo, U.S, Simi, STZ

☆ Morgan Stanley names its top dividend-paying stock picks
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

When picking dividend-paying stocks to stabilize your portfolio in tumultuous times, don't just go for higher yields — look for the growers, according to Morgan Stanley. Dividend-paying stocks have outperformed nondividend payers across all large-cap sectors going back to 2000, except for consumer discretionary, Morgan Stanley said. Energy Transfer , a company that operates in the natural gas pipeline industry, is rated overweight by Morgan Stanley analyst Robert Kad. Morgan Stanley also likes Mondelez International , the company behind Sour Patch Kids candy and Oreo cookies. Morgan Stanley anticipates banks will be able to grow their dividends about 5% in 2024.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Morgan Stanley's, Robert Kad, Pamela Kaufman, Betsy Graseck, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Mondelez, Financial, Regions Locations: outperformance, Birmingham , Alabama

New anti-obesity drugs have the potential to transform public health, while obliterating demand for products and services from the medical, food and fitness industries. Drugs developed by Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) and Eli Lilly (LLY.N) appear to be the first truly effective diet treatments. In one clinical trial, patients taking Eli Lilly’s soon-to-be-launched weight-loss drug lost about 50 pounds (23 kg). Only about a third of those who started taking the drugs for obesity were still doing so a year later, according to one analysis. Yet even as Novo, Lilly and others see their addressable markets expand, some companies will see theirs shrink.

Persons: Lilly, George Frey, Eli Lilly, Eli Lilly’s, Novo, Wegovy, Kraft Heinz, Burger, LSEG, Michael Farrell, Zimmer Biomet, Smith, Peter Thal Larsen, Sharon Lam, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Pharmacy, REUTERS, Reuters, TAM, Drugs, Alpha, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Cadbury, Mondelez, Fortune Business, Burger King, KFC, Yum Brands, Centers for Disease Control, Milken Institute, BMJ, Novo, Inspire Medical Systems, Novo Nordisk’s, WW International, Fashion, Thomson Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S, New, United States, Lilly, England

[1/2] Hostess Brands "Twinkies" are displayed in a store in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S. July 5, 2016. Smucker (SJM.N) said on Monday it will buy Twinkies-maker Hostess Brands (TWNK.O) in a $5.6 billion deal, as major U.S. packaged food companies look to expand their brand portfolios with pandemic-era fortunes dwindling. J. M. Smucker will pay Hostess shareholders $34.25 per share in a cash and stock deal, representing a premium of 54% since the day before the report surfaced. Hostess Brands became an acquisition target after it managed to boost its revenue through price hikes that fueled investor concerns over its prospects with its volume growth consistently declining. Smucker and Hostess deal follows a spree of other deals including that of Campbell Soup's (CPB.N) $2.7 billion deal for Rao's sauce maker Sovos Brands (SOVO.O) and Unilever (ULVR.L) buying premium frozen yogurt brand Yasso in North America.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Smucker, Campbell Soup's, Hostess, Ding Dongs, Dimpal Gulwani, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Anirban Sen, Savio D'Souza, Shinjini Organizations: REUTERS, Hostess Brands, Reuters, Hostess, Mills Inc, Mondelez, PepsiCo Inc, Hershey Co, Sovos, Unilever, Hos, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S, North America, Lenexa , Kansas, Ho, Bengaluru, New York

☆ Here's why Jim Cramer likes J.M. Smucker's plan to buy the maker of Twinkies
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | In Kevinstankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Smucker 's (SJM) decision to buy Twinkie maker Hostess Brands (TWNK) in a deal valued at $5.6 billion. "I like the deal, if only just because I like this channel for Smuckers," Cramer said on "Squawk on the Street." Hostess Brands stock, meanwhile, surged nearly 19%, to more than $33 per share. Reuters reported in August that multiple major food brands such as General Mills (GIS) and Oreo owner Mondelez International (MDLZ) had shown interest in acquiring Hostess. Perhaps the "biggest worry" about acquiring Hostess Brands is the increasing popularity of weight-loss drugs known as GLP-1 agonists, and their potential impact on consumer food preferences, Cramer acknowledged.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, J.M, Smucker, Cramer, Jim Cramer's, Mills, Morgan Stanley, Eli Lilly, — Organizations: Hostess Brands, Reuters, Mondelez, Hostess, Cramer's Charitable Trust, CNBC, Novo Nordisk, Cramer's Charitable Locations: U.S

☆ U.S. food companies go deal hunting as pandemic growth fades
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Deborah Mary Sophia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Last month, Campbell Soup (CPB.N) struck a $2.7 billion deal for Rao's sauce maker Sovos Brands (SOVO.O). Reuters GraphicsReuters Graphics Reuters Graphics"Large food companies need to add more new concepts, new flavor profiles and new food items because their old brands - though still growing - are not growing at a meaningful rate," Milani said. Packaged food companies "are now faced with some difficult comparisons on organic (sales) and are seeking some strategic, category-specific M&A targets that will propel them through the next few years," Henry said. "Most of the large cap packaged food companies have ... diligently reduced their debt and improved their balance sheet (through the pandemic)...so they have the risk capacity and risk appetite to pursue large-scale acquisitions," CFRA Research analyst Arun Sundaram said. "These packaged food companies need to continue finding ways to stay relevant ... And so one of the easiest ways to do that is through M&A."

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Campbell, There's, Michael Milani, Baker Tilly, Milani, Kraft Heinz, Sarah Henry, Henry, Mills, Luca Zaramella, Hershey, J.P, Morgan, Arun Sundaram, Deborah Sophia, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Campbell Soup, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Sovos, Unilever, Mars, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Logan Capital Management, PepsiCo, Mondelez, Barclays, Hostess Brands, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, North America, dealmaking, Bengaluru

☆ Twinkies maker will give food brands a sugar high
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Anita Ramaswamy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Hostess Brands "Twinkies" are displayed in a store in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S. July 5, 2016. Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Urban legend says Hostess Brands’ (TWNK.O) infamous Twinkie is so highly processed it could survive a nuclear war. Executives at both Hostess and Mondelez have noted that snacking is getting more popular, even as people are indulging in smaller portions. Add a 30% premium to its undisturbed stock price, and its enterprise value is 15 times forward EBITDA, according to Refinitiv data. A deal is possible, but it has a good chance of leaving a short-lived sugar high.

Persons: Mills, Metropoulos, Andy Callahan, Mondelez, Callahan, isn’t, Morgan Stanley, General Mills, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, Mondelez, Apollo Global Management, New York Times, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Planters, Hostess Brands, Hershey, PepsiCo, General, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S

REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsChocolate makers are banking on the traditional resilience of their product to price increases. The data showed Hershey's sales volumes increasingly declined during the period as the company hiked prices. "We are seeing consumers starting to react more than before, I'd be very cautious with price increases," said Dan Sadler, a candy expert at U.S.-based market researcher IRI. Barry Callebaut (BARN.S), the world's biggest chocolate maker supplying most major brands including Nestle (NESN.S), doesn't expect any growth in sales volumes this year. Pennsylvania-based Hershey, is hoping that as it eases off the rate of price hikes, its sales volumes will reverse their current downtrend.

Persons: Nielsen, Dirk Van de, Luca Zaramella, Patrick Folan, Mike Blake, Mondelez, Hershey, Zaramella, Bernstein, I'd, Dan Sadler, Barry Callebaut, Hershey's, Michele Buck, Matt Scuffham, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Nielsen, Hershey, Reuters, Consumers, Cadbury, Barclays, REUTERS, IRI, Nestle, Rabobank, El, Kailyn, Thomson Locations: Europe, United States, North America, Encinitas , California, U.S, Pennsylvania, El Nino, West Africa, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kailyn Rhone, New York

FILE PHOTO-Hostess Brands "Twinkies" are displayed in a store in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S. July 5, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidFile Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Hostess Brands Inc (TWNK.O), the maker of Twinkies snack cakes, is exploring a sale after fielding takeover interest from major snack food makers, people familiar with the matter said on Friday. General Mills Inc (GIS.N), Mondelez International Inc (MDLZ.O), PepsiCo Inc (PEP.O) and Hershey Co (HSY.N) are among the companies that have shown an interest in acquiring Hostess, the sources said. Hostess has hired investment bank Morgan Stanley (MS.N) for advice on handling the deal negotiations, the sources said. No agreement is certain and Hostess may decide against any deal, the sources added.

Persons: Brendan McDermidFile, Hostess, General Mills, Morgan Stanley, Mills, Ding Dongs, Dean Metropoulos, Alec Gores, Gross, Anirban Sen, Abigail Summerville, Chris Reese, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Hostess Brands Inc, Nasdaq, General, General Mills Inc, Mondelez, PepsiCo Inc, Hershey Co, Hostess, Hershey, PepsiCo, Hos, Apollo Global Management Inc, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S, Mondelez, New York, Lenexa , Kansas, Ho

☆ JPMorgan: The world's food supplies face a bleak future. These are the 3 biggest threats, and the companies best-positioned to tackle food insecurity.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Investors need to know exactly where the threats to the world's food supply are coming from, what themes are beginning to emerge in this new reality, and how they should be investing. New threats to the world's food supplyIn her report, Chang highlighted the ongoing problems affecting the world's food supply: war, weather, and the weaponization of food. One of the most devastating recently implemented restrictions on food supply is India's decision to ban the exportation of non-Basmati white rice. The combination of war, weather, and the weaponization of food has taken a toll on the world's food availability. And within food innovation, JPMorgan analysts like Philippine food and beverage maker Monde Nissin (MONDE PM) and Thailand-based seafood producer Thai Union (TU TB).

Persons: UNICEF — that's, Global Research Joyce Chang, Chang, El, Hilary, CJ Cheiljedang, Mengniu Dairy, Kubota, Jeronimo Martins SGPS Organizations: JPMorgan, Hurricanes, UNICEF —, Global Research, Grain Initiative, Food Policy Research, Food, Agriculture Commodities, ASEAN, Mahindra, LG, Thai Union, TU, Jeronimo Martins SGPS SA, Tesco PLC, J Sainsbury PLC, Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize, Carrefour SA, Yara International ASA, OCI, OCI NA, Bayer AG, PepsiCo Locations: Ukraine, California, Canada, East Coast, Russia, Africa, Asia, India, El, South Korean, HK, South Korea, Philippine, Thailand, Europe

"The increase in sugar and cocoa specifically is material," Mondelez CFO Luca Zaramella said in July. The data showed Hershey's sales volumes increasingly declined during the period as the company hiked prices. Barry Callebaut (BARN.S), the world's biggest chocolate maker supplying most major brands including Nestle (NESN.S), doesn't expect any growth in sales volumes this year. In the U.S., private label sales volumes grew nearly 9% in the year to mid-June despite near double-digit price rises, IRI data shows. Pennsylvania-based Hershey, is hoping that as it eases off the rate of price hikes, its sales volumes will reverse their current downtrend.

Persons: Mike Blake, Dirk Van de, Luca Zaramella, Patrick Folan, Mondelez, Hershey, Zaramella, Bernstein, I'd, Dan Sadler, Barry Callebaut, Hershey's, Michele Buck, Matt Scuffham, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: REUTERS, Hershey, Reuters, Consumers, Nielsen, Cadbury, Barclays, IRI, Nestle, Rabobank, El, Kailyn, Thomson Locations: Encinitas , California, Europe, North America, U.S, Pennsylvania, El Nino, West Africa, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kailyn Rhone, New York

Search resuls for: "MDLZ"

25 mentions found