These foodmakers adapt to shifting tastes

Article Excerpt

The four processed food giants we analyze below are responding to shifting consumer demand for more-healthful products and are launching new foods with less sugar and salt. In response to those changing tastes, packaged-food makers are also cutting costs, which should let them maintain their current dividends. We recommend two of the following stocks for new buying. MONDELEZ INTERNATIONAL INC. $51 (Nasdaq symbol MDLZ; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 1.4 billion; Market cap: $71.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.9; Dividend yield: 2.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.mondelezinternational.com) makes cookies and crackers (Oreo, Ritz), chocolate bars (Cadbury, Toblerone), gum and candy (Trident, Dentyne) and Halls cough drops. In the quarter ended March 31, 2019, sales fell 3.4%, to $6.54 billion from $6.77 billion a year earlier. However, if you disregard currency rates and businesses that the company bought and sold, sales improved 3.7%. That reflects higher selling prices and volumes. As well, sales in emerging markets improved 8.4%. Earnings before unusual items rose 1.0%, to…