This global food giant is a top Swiss stock

Article Excerpt

Nestle is the largest holding in the iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF at 21.5%. That’s high for any single stock, but the firm continues to be a top global stock. As a 150-year-old company, Nestle is the largest food producer and distributor in the world. Its size is considerable; in fact, its market value and operating profits are more than U.S. food giants Mondelez, Kraft Heinz, Hershey, General Mills and Kellogg combined. Last year, Nestle had sales of 87 billion Swiss francs ($89.6 million U.S.) spread across 186 countries. The company has 354 factories. The Americas were the largest market for its products, followed by Europe and Asia. Nestle’s main product categories are beverages, dairy products, pet care, nutrition, prepared dishes and cooking aids, dairy products, and confectionery. Among the 2,000 brands owned by the company, household names include Nespresso, Milo, Perrier, and Nescafe (beverages), Purina (pet care), Nature’s Bounty and Gerber (nutrition), Maggi (cooking aids), Carnation and Haagen Dazs (dairy products), and Nestle, Smarties…