Investors Should Adopt a Defensive Strategy: Offload Staples and Invest in Healthcare.
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 26 2026
0mins
Source: Barron's
- Investment Strategy: Investors are encouraged to shift their focus towards defensive stocks for better stability in uncertain markets.
- Sector Shift: The recommended approach is to sell off consumer staples and invest in the healthcare sector.
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Analyst Views on MDLZ
Wall Street analysts forecast MDLZ stock price to rise
18 Analyst Rating
13 Buy
5 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 63.360
Low
62.00
Averages
66.82
High
84.00
Current: 63.360
Low
62.00
Averages
66.82
High
84.00
About MDLZ
Mondelez International, Inc. is a snack company. The Company’s core business is making and selling chocolate, biscuits and baked snacks. The Company also has additional businesses in adjacent, locally relevant categories including gum and candy, cheese and grocery and powdered beverages. Its portfolio includes global and local brands such as Oreo, Ritz, LU, Clif Bar and Tate’s Bake Shop biscuits and baked snacks, as well as Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate. The Company’s segments include Latin America, AMEA, Europe and North America. It sells its products in over 150 countries and has operations in approximately 80 countries, including 147 principal manufacturing and processing facilities across 46 countries. It sells its products to supermarket chains, wholesalers, supercenters, club stores, mass merchandisers, distributors, convenience stores, gasoline stations, drug stores, value stores and other retail food outlets.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Oversubscription Details: The IPO shares are priced at $135 each, with demand exceeding the available shares by a factor of four, indicating strong investor interest in SpaceX, but this could lead to price volatility in the short term.
- Market Performance Expectations: Historical data shows that IPO stocks have averaged a 25% gain on their first trading day over the past decade, but large IPOs typically experience significant declines in their first year, and SpaceX may face a similar fate.
- Competitive Market Analysis: SpaceX's P/S ratio stands at 92, significantly higher than Palantir's 63, indicating an extremely high valuation, and large IPO stocks have historically underperformed, suggesting a potential sharp decline in the following year.
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- Integrated Business Model: SpaceX's unique vertical integration combines launch, connectivity, and computing technologies, positioning it to capture a significant share of the $28.5 trillion market, particularly in AI infrastructure and Starlink satellite internet services.
- Historical Performance Warning: Despite the hype surrounding SpaceX's IPO, historical data indicates that the ten largest IPO stocks have averaged a 21% decline in their first year, and their long-term returns typically lag behind the S&P 500, suggesting investors should proceed with caution.
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- Market Demand and Performance Outlook: Underwriters report immense demand for SpaceX shares, yet historical data suggests the company may underperform the S&P 500 in the long run, indicating that investors might be better off investing in an S&P 500 index fund instead.
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