JPMorgan Sees Back-Half Recovery for Mondelez International, Inc. (MDLZ) Despite Cocoa Headwinds

Group 1 - Mondelez International, Inc. is included in the Dividend Contenders List, highlighting its status as a reliable dividend-paying stock [1] - JPMorgan has lowered its price target for Mondelez to $69 from $71 but maintains an Overweight rating, anticipating earnings momentum to improve in the second half of 2026 despite initial challenges [2] - The company faces significant pressure from cocoa prices, with warnings that "unprecedented cocoa cost inflation" could reduce adjusted EPS by up to 15% in 2025 [3] Group 2 - Mondelez is adapting its strategy to cater to increasingly price-conscious consumers, which may help it maintain stability in a challenging economic environment [4] - The stock is considered defensive, with a low beta of 0.04, a dividend yield of 3.4%, and a total debt-to-equity ratio of 68.9%, indicating financial stability [5] - As one of the largest snack companies globally, Mondelez operates in the consumer staples sector, where demand for food tends to remain steady even during economic downturns [6]