MONDELEZ INTERNATIONAL INC. $42 - Nasdaq symbol MDLZ

MONDELEZ INTERNATIONAL INC. $42 (Nasdaq symbol MDLZ; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 1.6 billion; Market cap: $67.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.0; Dividend yield: 1.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.mondelezinternational.com) makes cookies and biscuits (Oreo, Chips Ahoy, Ritz), chocolate bars (Cadbury, Toblerone), gum and candy (Trident, Chiclets) and Halls cough drops.

The stock gained 10% recently on news that activist investment firm Pershing Square Capital now owns 7.5% of the company. Pershing will likely pressure Mondelez to improve its profitability, instead of trying to break it up or merge it with another food maker. However, the stock is expensive at 23.6 times the company’s projected 2015 earnings of $1.78 a share.

Mondelez is a hold.

A professional investment analyst for more than 30 years, Pat has developed a stock-selection technique that has proven reliable in both bull and bear markets. His proprietary ValuVesting System™ focuses on stocks that provide exceptional quality at relatively low prices. Many savvy investors and industry leaders consider it the most powerful stock-picking method ever created.