Last Updated on 10/28/2021 by GS Staff
Is Oreo Publicly Traded?
Oreo does not have its own stock. It is a brand of Mondelēz International made by the Nabisco division of the company. While you cannot purchase Oreo stock, Mondelēz is publicly traded. It trades under the stock symbol MDLZ on the Nasdaq. Shares can be purchased through most online brokers.
What Does Mondelēz Own?
In addition to Oreo, Mondelēz owns many other popular brands, primarily in the snack food category. In fact, it is one of the world’s largest snack food companies with revenues of approximately $27 billion for 2020. Some of its noteworthy brands include Chips Ahoy!, Wheat Thins, Ritz, Tang, Trident, Belvita, Sour Patch, and Halls.
Mondelēz categorizes its products into five categories: Biscuits (cookies, crackers, and salty snacks), Chocolate, Gum & Candy, Cheese & Grocery, and Beverages. Based on the company’s 2020 annual report, here is how the categories break down based on the percent of 2020 net revenues by category:
| Category | % of 2020 Net Revenues |
|---|---|
| Biscuits | 48% |
| Chocolate | 31% |
| Gum & Candy | 10% |
| Cheese & Grocery | 7% |
| Beverages | 4% |
A Global Company
A glimpse of Mondelēz’s brands listed above might make someone believe that the company earns most of its revenue from the United States. However, Mondelēz International is truly a global company as its name implies.
While North America contributes greatly to the company’s revenues, most of it is generated from outside of this segment. Here is a breakdown of revenues based on its four operating segments:
| Segment | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | $10,207 | $9,972 | $10,122 |
| North America | 8,157 | 7,108 | 6,885 |
| Asia, Middle East, Africa (AMEA) | 5,740 | 5,770 | 5,729 |
| Latin America | 2,477 | 3,018 | 3,202 |
| Totals | $26,581 | $25,868 | $25,938 |
Will Oreo Ever Be Public?
The brand is one of Mondelēz International‘s biggest in regard to revenue. It pulled in over $3 billion in revenues in 2019 – a record for the brand. We don’t have 2020 revenues yet but we suspect that they were higher considering the pandemic made at-home eating more of thing again.
The above being said, Oreo continues to be a valuable asset for Mondelēz pulling in a significant amount of revenue. We have no reason to believe that Oreo will be a public company on its own in the foreseeable future.
Final Thoughts
If you read the above information, you realize that it is not a good idea to invest in Mondelēz simply because you love Oreo cookies. While the Oreo brand brings in a decent portion of revenues, the remaining brands in total bring in billions more. Be sure you understand the whole company before investing and seek professional financial advice when needed before investing.
Sources:
- 2020 Mondelēz International Annual Report
- IFB Desk. (2020, February 25). Oreo cookie reaches a milestone of US $ 3.1 billion in 2019. IndiFoodBev. Retrieved October 26, 2021, from https://indifoodbev.com/industry-news/oreo-the-worlds-favorite-cookie-hits-us-3-1-billion-in-sales-in-2019/.
