(Reuters) -Cadbury-parent Mondelez Worldwide forecast a bigger-than-estimated drop in its annual revenue on Tuesday, signaling pressures from greater prices, together with from surging cocoa costs, sending its shares down almost 6% after the bell.
Costs of cocoa — a key ingredient in chocolate — have elevated relentlessly over the previous 12 months, forcing corporations similar to Mondelez to hike costs of their merchandise.
That has pushed budget-strained customers, who have been already grappling with a cost-of-living disaster, towards cheaper options.
Chicago-based Mondelez expects its 2025 revenue to fall 10% on an adjusted foundation, in contrast with analysts’ common estimate of a 6.7% decline, in line with information compiled by LSEG.
“This outlook doesn’t mirror any imposition of import tariffs by the U.S. and potential retaliatory actions taken by different nations, because the tariff and commerce surroundings is unsure and quickly evolving at the moment,” the Oreo and Toblerone maker stated.
Mondelez’s volumes in Europe, its largest market by income, fell within the fourth quarter on account of incremental value hikes. In North America, nevertheless, volumes elevated following a 0.9-percentage-point discount in costs.
The surge in cocoa costs, coupled with greater transportation prices, led to a 650-basis-point decline within the firm’s adjusted gross revenue margin to 31.5%.
Mondelez reported web income of $9.60 billion for the three months ended Dec. 31, in contrast with the estimates of $9.64 billion.
On an adjusted foundation, it earned 65 cents per share, under analysts’ estimate of 66 cents per share.
(Reporting by Neil J Kanatt in Bengaluru; Enhancing by Shilpi Majumdar)
