Latest news with #Marks
CNBC
6 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
This snack maker is a buy as the outlook for cocoa prices improves, says Jefferies
Mondelez International will get a boost from an improving outlook in cocoa prices, according to Jefferies. The firm upgraded the snack maker to buy from hold in a Thursday note and raised its price target to $78 per share from $66. Jefferies' new forecast implies about 16% upside from Wednesday's close. Mondelez's portfolio of chocolate products includes Oreo and Chips Ahoy cookies. "Cocoa inflation has been a headwind to profit recently, although with an improving cocoa supply/demand outlook, limited volume hit despite high cocoa-driven price increases, and strong execution capabilities, the company is positioned well to recover input cost inflation and grow faster vs. center-store peers," analyst Scott Marks said. Cocoa futures are down more than 37% year to date after hitting a record high in December. Marks also said Mondelez is "advantageously positioned in faster-growth snacking categories with exposure to faster-growth markets relative to many of its US peers, and with a well-positioned balance sheet." The analyst added that while there are signs that the U.S. consumer remains under pressure, strength in Europe and the overall cocoa market should both be tailwinds for Mondelez. "While U.S. retail sales data suggests a still pressured consumer, we believe Europe dynamics, strong execution, and an improving cocoa outlook position MDLZ well for profit upside in '26 and beyond," he said. Mondelez International shares, which are up 13% year to date, rose about 1% in the premarket after the Jefferies upgrade. MDLZ YTD mountain MDLZ year to date Analysts are mostly bullish on Mondelez. Of the 29 who cover it, 19 rate it a buy or strong buy, LSEG data shows.
Chicago Tribune
6 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Guzman y Gomez looks to open second Naperville restaurant on Route 59
Naperville was the first city in the U.S. to have a Guzman y Gomez Mexican Kitchen when the Australia-based chain opened in 2020 along Naper Boulevard near Ogden Avenue. Now, the company is taking steps toward its second restaurant in Naperville, with the unanimous endorsement of the city's Planning and Zoning Commission for its request to build along Route 59. Guzman y Gomez won a positive recommendation for its plans to demolish a former Juicy O restaurant in the Fox River Commons shopping center and replace it with a 2,600-square-foot dine-in and drive-thru restaurant. Jason Trombley, head of U.S. development for Guzman y Gomez, said the new site at 844 S. Route 59 would help the company promote 'our food and our people' while growing its U.S. presence. The company's seventh store in the country opened this week in Des Plaines; all are in the Chicago area. 'We think brand awareness is a big part of this puzzle, and a second store (in Naperville) will provide sales to the southern part of Naperville and also boost the store on the northern side of the city,' Trombley said, referencing its first location at 1519 N. Naper Blvd. The site where Guzman y Gomez hopes to open its second Naperville shop is near recent redevelopments, including The Matrix Club and Mall of India. In documents submitted to the city, the company said its store — designed in brown and gray with white and yellow accents — will be a 'new-look building' that will 'brighten a center that needs new growth and revitalization.' 'I am excited about that location with everything that's going on there,' said Whitney Robbins, planning and zoning commission chairwoman. Guzman y Gomez's plans for the site require Naperville City Council approval for a major change to the planned unit development for Fox River Square and a final plat for the land. Adam Beaver, with the city's planning services team, said a restaurant is permitted within the property's B2 zoning, and city staff found no concerns with designs for the site. Plans call for an outdoor dining patio with seating for 25 people, a parking lot with 31 spaces, new sidewalks and a bike path connection along Route 59. The drive-thru would have two lanes for ordering that merge into one for pickup, and the entrance to the restaurant would be on the north end of the site to avoid traffic backups near the entrance to the shopping center. The fast-casual Mexican food chain, which is said to have something of a cult following in Australia, is the brainchild of America cofounders Steven Marks and Robert Hazan. At the time the first Guzman & Gomez store opened in Naperville, Marks told the Naperville Sun the goal was put down roots in the U.S. the same way they have in Australia, Japan and Singapore. 'We chose Naperville because of the community,' Marks said in 2020. 'We kept hearing about this city, which is ranked as one of the best places to live in the U.S., and the moment we arrived here and saw the site, we knew this was where our first U.S. restaurant had to be.'
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Marks and Spencer launch Marmite pizza and it's 'already set to overtake classic Margherita'
The new 'love-it-or-hate-it' pizza is set to top the charts as shoppers switch from marg to marm. It's the thick, dark, savoury spread that has long divided the nation, but now a top UK supermarket is hoping to unite people's taste buds by making it the base of a brand new pizza "set to overtake the classic Margherita". As the saying goes, you'll either love it or hate it, but Marks and Spencer has launched 3 Cheese & Marmite pizza that is already on track to overtake classic Margherita in less than one week, according to M&S Food sales. Marmite lovers rejoice, because in less than a week since it landed on shelves, the retailer's new must-have 3 Cheese & Marmite pizza, which costs £6, has instantly become one of their best-sellers. In fact, daily sales per store are set to overtake those of the beloved classic Margherita. The iconic cheesy-savoury collaboration has also been a viral hit on social media, with posts about the pizza already racking up over 10,000 likes, comments and shares from fans on the M&S Instagram and Facebook accounts. Rave reviews from shoppers were aplenty. Another gushed: "You have outdone yourself with the pizza!" Meanwhile, a third stated: "BEST PIZZA EVER – FACT". Sarah-Jane Large, Lead Product Developer for Meals at M&S Food, said: "Whether you love it or hate it, Marmite is undeniably the most iconic British savoury spread and one we know our customers love in combination with creamy, cheesy dishes. "Perfecting these savoury sensations required a great deal of time and expertise to get the balance of flavours just right, and we tasted hundreds of different versions to find the exact right percentage of Marmite in every bite." Hand‑stretched and stone‑baked, the new Marmite pizza is layered with lashings of creamy Marmite béchamel, melting mozzarella, sharp cheddar and nutty Red Leicester. It's also vegetarian, making it a great alternative to your usual Margherita or veggie pizza of choice. Marks uses specialty '00' flour for its bases and allows the dough to slow‑ferment for 24 hours, creating an authentic crust that's perfectly crisp on the outside and satisfyingly chewy within. And better yet, this new launch is available as part of the supermarket's popular Pizza Night Dine In deal where you can pick up two pizzas and two sides for just £12. "Over the past five years our teams have worked together to create some brilliantly imaginative launches to satisfy shoppers' savoury cravings, combining that high quality and innovation that M&S Food is known for with the popularity of Marmite – after all, these are two of the nation's best-loved brands," Sarah-Jane went on. "We can't wait to see what people think of our first sweet Marmite collaborations when they launch later this summer." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
USA Today
14-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
USC's Woody Marks could make substantial impact in Year 1 with Houston Texans
Last season as a USC Trojan, Woody Marks showed out in a big way. He delivered a 1,133 rushing yard season with 9 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 47 passes for 321 yards. This type of production led to Marks being selected with the No. 116 pick in the fourth round of the NFL draft by the Houston Texans. The expectation for Marks in Year 1 isn't a 1,000-yard rushing season with the Texans. Houston already has an elite running back in the building: Joe Mixon. However, there is a dire need for a productive running back as the second option. That could be Nick Chubb or it could be Marks. In a Raiders Wire feature Texans Wire reporter Cole Thompson offered his thoughts on a potential breakout rookie for the Texans: "There will be a role for Marks in Nick Caley's offense. How big? That depends on the status of Nick Chubb, who when healthy should be the primary No. 2 back behind Joe Mixon. Still, the Texans didn't give up a future third-round pick in 2026 for the former USC star to sit. Marks' best asset are his hands, especially on third down in the receiving game. Over five college seasons with Mississippi State & USC, he caught 261 passes for 1,546 yards and five touchdowns. Caley's offense has always featured at least one stable pass-catching runner, so if Marks can provide that spark out of the backfield for C.J. Stroud during training camp, he'll be a gadget type that keeps the sticks moving on manageable situations through the air." Woody Marks is a multi-talented back who can play all three downs for this Texans offense, making him really valuable and a candidate for an impactful rookie performer. Who knows how productive Nick Chubb will be after suffering multiple injuries the last couple seasons? Woody Marks is definitely a name to keep an eye on for the Texans this upcoming preseason.
USA Today
08-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Nets GM Sean Marks explains keeping all five picks in 2025 NBA Draft
NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets made some interesting decisions heading into the 2025 NBA Draft as they made history by using all five of their picks in the Draft. Brooklyn went from having four first-round picks to five after a multi-team trade with the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics and general manager Sean Marks explained why the franchise chose to make all of those picks. "We've never had three tables up here, so that shows you the size of the draft class, right? First and foremost, I want to welcome all these guys, these young men, to Brooklyn," Marks said during the team's press conference introducing their draft picks. Brooklyn selected five players in the Draft, including taking BYU guard Egor Demin with the eighth overall pick in the Draft. "We've never had five picks in one draft, and to be able to draft all of them in a draft class that we just saw, that was unique and that was something that we want to take advantage of," Marks continued. "Especially in our rebuild, where we see these young men fitting into our group and into our roster. So, it was about us capitalizing on the hand we were dealt." After taking Demin, the Nets went on to take four players who have varying degrees of upside: French guard Nolan Traore (19th overall), North Carolina forward Drake Powell (22nd), Israeli guard Ben Saraf (26th), and Michigan forward Danny Wolf (27th). One of the main takeaways from Brooklyn's draft was how much they were invested in ball-handlers while also not packaging some of their picks for other moves. Heading into the Draft, there were many who believed that the Nets would be trading some of their lesser picks to achieve some other goal, but it seems like they followed their plan all along. "What a lot of our scouting department and did all year long, the work they put in, we felt very confident about not only this class, but these men that we're able to put in front of you right now. So, it's exciting for us," Marks explained.
