# How Mondelez International (MDLZ) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

> Source: EasyCompare research, https://easycompare.io/research/mdlz
> Data as of October 20, 2026. Total returns include reinvested dividends. Past performance does not predict future results; nothing here is investment advice.

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on MDLZ alone. It places MDLZ (Mondelez International, Inc.) against 20+ popular alternatives, its neighboring categories and the entire market of over 10,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, and surfaces what has done better on consistent outperformance, return for the risk taken, behavior in real market crashes and diversification. The result is a clearer view of where MDLZ stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: MDLZ's full trading record, from June 2001 through September 2026. The crash tests reach back to 2000 using older funds and the S&P 500. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 20, 2026.

## Key findings

- **Right now:** After a 29.2% loss from May 2023 to January 2026, MDLZ has bounced 27.5% off the low. Its packaged food peers split over the past 6 months: UTZ (Utz Brands) rose 90.0%, while PEP (PepsiCo) fell 12.8%.
- **Stock or market?:** MDLZ rose 7.1% over the past 3 months, 3.0 points ahead of the packaged foods ETF XLP (State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF), which rose 4.1%. The S&P 500 rose 3.9%. Its packaged food peers did not move as one over the past 3 months: UTZ (Utz Brands) rose 92.6%, while KHC (Kraft Heinz) fell 6.4%.
- **Past 1 to 3 years:** MDLZ has trailed the market, rising 5.5% over the past year against 15.8% for the S&P 500 and 17.9% for the Nasdaq 100. The same gap shows up over 3 years (9.2% against 89.3%). The last two calendar years both went the same way: MDLZ fell 7.0% in 2025, against 15.8% for the S&P 500 and 17.9% for the Nasdaq 100.
- **Long term:** Over the past decade, MDLZ returned 6.8% a year against 15.5% a year for the S&P 500 (93.4% in total against 321%). That said, over the past decade, only HSY (Hershey) of its packaged food peers outpaced MDLZ.
- **In a crash:** MDLZ fell less than the S&P 500 in five of six sell-offs, but the 2015 China and oil sell-off broke the pattern: it fell 22.3%, more than the S&P 500's 12.8%.
- **Diversification:** MDLZ is some diversification, but not a hedge: a correlation of 0.31 with the S&P 500 over 5 years and 0.29 with the total US market, less closely than 68% of stocks worth at least $300 million. Over 10 years, MDLZ's beta versus the S&P 500 was 0.52: 45% of the S&P 500's gains in rising months and 55% of its losses in falling ones.
- **Better options**
  - **Popular alternatives:** KO (Coca-Cola) earned more than MDLZ with less volatility over the past 5 years: 14.7% a year at 16.8% volatility, against 4.0% a year at 20.2%.
  - **Nearby categories and themes:** MNST (Monster Beverage, food & beverages) and CCEP (Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, food & beverages) were ahead of MDLZ in most short and long periods.
  - **Whole market:** 458 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than MDLZ with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them VTI (Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF), VOO (Vanguard S&P 500 ETF) and BRK-B (Berkshire Hathaway).

## How much would $10,000 in MDLZ have grown?

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in MDLZ over the past 25 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of MDLZ over the same span and MDLZ's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period.

- $10,000 invested in MDLZ at the end of September 2001 would have grown to $118,239 by September 2026, more than the $114,557 it would have become in SPY, an S&P 500 fund.
- Five of the eight other investments on the chart ended ahead of MDLZ, and MNST finished highest, at $22,832,107.

## MDLZ at a glance

This section summarizes the key facts about the stock, its returns over periods from one to ten years and the risk it has carried, with dividends reinvested throughout.

- MDLZ's deepest decline since it began trading in 2001 was 38.2%, from September 2008 to March 2009. It took 18 months from the low to climb back to its old high.
- Over 24 full calendar years, MDLZ's best was 2012, when it returned 121%, and its worst was 2005, when it lost 17.3%. It lost money in eight of those years.
- MDLZ is 9.7% below its all-time high.

- Type: Stock, Consumer Staples (Food Confectioners)
- Trading since: June 13, 2001
- Market value: $82B
- Volatility (5 years): 20.2%; Sharpe ratio: 0.29
- Worst decline ever: −38.2%, from September 19, 2008 to March 5, 2009; back at its high by September 9, 2010

| Period | MDLZ total return |
| --- | --- |
| 1 month | +7.3% |
| 3 months | +7.1% |
| 6 months | +13.6% |
| year to date | +22.4% |
| 1 year | +5.5% |
| 3 years | +9.2% |
| 5 years | +21.5% |
| 10 years | +93.4% |

## MDLZ against the whole market

Where MDLZ ranks among every stock and fund, and what across the market has done better.

### How does MDLZ rank among all stocks?

This section ranks MDLZ on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every stock worth at least $300 million with enough history.

- MDLZ's worst decline of the past 10 years ranks in the top 1% of the 2,187 stocks worth at least $300 million, where the top fell the least.

| Measure | MDLZ | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-year return | +5.5% | 1,759 of 3,287 (top 54%) |
| 3-year return | +9.2% | 2,175 of 3,017 (top 73%) |
| 5-year return | +21.5% | 1,439 of 2,893 (top 50%) |
| 10-year return | +93.4% | 1,367 of 2,202 (top 63%) |
| Volatility, 5 years | 20.2% | 98 of 2,893 (top 4%) |
| Sharpe ratio, 5 years | 0.29 | 1,568 of 2,893 (top 55%) |
| Worst decline, past 10 years | −29.8% | 18 of 2,187 (top 1%) |

### What has beaten MDLZ on both return and risk?

Each dot is an investment, placed by how much it earned a year over the past 5 years (higher is better) and how much its price swung, its volatility (further left is calmer).

- 29 stocks and 429 ETFs worth at least $500 million sit in the green region: each earned more than MDLZ over the past 5 years with smaller price swings. That is 13% of the 3,633 screened.
- Among those with at least half MDLZ's swings, LVHI has the best return for its risk: 17.0% a year at 11.1% volatility, 45% less than MDLZ's 20.2%, and a Sharpe ratio (return above cash per unit of volatility) of 1.48 against 0.29 for MDLZ. DXJ earned the most, 26.6% a year, while still swinging less than MDLZ (19.1% against 20.2%).
- Among MDLZ's popular alternatives, KO is in the region. KO earned 14.7% a year against 4.0% a year for MDLZ, at 16.8% volatility, 17% less than MDLZ's 20.2%.

### Is there a better investment than MDLZ?

The table below lists investments that beat MDLZ over the past 5 years on at least one of these measures: a higher annual return with lower volatility, a higher annual return at similar volatility, a similar return with lower volatility, a higher Sharpe ratio with a smaller worst decline, a higher total return in most periods from 3 months to 10 years, or smaller losses in recent market crashes.

- Among MDLZ's popular alternatives, KO earned more than MDLZ with less volatility over the past 5 years: 14.7% a year at 16.8% volatility, against 4.0% a year at 20.2%.
- Looking beyond its popular alternatives, MNST (food & beverages) and CCEP (food & beverages) were ahead of MDLZ in most short and long periods.
- Across the whole market, 458 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than MDLZ with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them VTI, VOO and BRK-B.

The 15 strongest of 458 investments that beat MDLZ over the past 5 years, out of 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million.

| Investment | Group | Annual return (5 years) | Volatility | Sharpe | Worst decline (10 years) | 10Y return | Correlation with MDLZ | Better on |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MDLZ: Mondelez International, Inc. (this page) |  | +4.0% | 20.2% | 0.29 | −29.8% | +93.4% |  |  |
| CHT: Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd. | Integrated Telecommunications | +7.7% | 13.3% | 0.63 | −23.8% | +101% | 0.36 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| JAAA: Janus Henderson AAA CLO ETF | CLO Bonds | +5.1% | 1.7% | 2.98 | −2.6% | — | 0.03 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| [BRK-B](https://easycompare.io/research/brk-b): Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | Insurance | +13.4% | 17.1% | 0.82 | −29.6% | +274% | 0.43 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| [PG](https://easycompare.io/research/pg): The Procter & Gamble Company | Household & Personal Products | +5.1% | 18.3% | 0.37 | −23.8% | +145% | 0.58 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| BALT: Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF | Crypto | +6.3% | 3.3% | 1.85 | −4.9% | — | 0.18 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| [IWD](https://easycompare.io/research/iwd): iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF | US Large-Cap Value | +11.4% | 14.7% | 0.81 | −38.5% | +205% | 0.47 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| FLRT: Pacer Aristotle Pacific Floating Rate High Income ETF | Financials | +6.0% | 2.3% | 2.55 | −21.0% | +58.0% | 0.24 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| SDCI: USCF SummerHaven Dynamic Commodity Strategy No K-1 Fund | Bonds | +20.6% | 18.4% | 1.12 | −45.7% | — | 0.26 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| [XLV](https://easycompare.io/research/xlv): State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF | Health Care Equity | +8.4% | 15.3% | 0.60 | −28.4% | +202% | 0.40 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| HDV: iShares Core High Dividend ETF | US Dividend Equity | +12.9% | 13.0% | 1.00 | −37.0% | +172% | 0.63 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| COWZ: Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF | US Large-Cap Value | +11.4% | 17.7% | 0.70 | −38.7% | — | 0.36 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| [DFAC](https://easycompare.io/research/dfac): Dimensional - US Core Equity 2 ETF | US Total Market | +11.4% | 17.0% | 0.72 | −23.1% | — | 0.32 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| PJUL: Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF | Broad Market | +10.5% | 8.6% | 1.20 | −18.2% | — | 0.33 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| FJAN: FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - January | Multi-Asset | +11.1% | 10.5% | 1.05 | −13.6% | — | 0.29 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| JQUA: JPMorgan U.S. Quality Factor ETF | US Quality Equity | +13.6% | 15.7% | 0.89 | −32.9% | — | 0.37 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |

## MDLZ against its popular alternatives

The investments people most often weigh against MDLZ, compared period by period and year by year.

### How do MDLZ's risk and return compare with its alternatives?

This map plots each investment's annual return over the past 5 years against its volatility, the size of its typical price swings.

- Only KO was both more rewarding and calmer than MDLZ over the past 5 years, earning a higher annual return with lower volatility.
- 11 of the 20 popular alternatives earned less than MDLZ over the past 5 years while swinging more, the weaker corner of the map.
- Over the past 5 years, MDLZ returned 4.0% a year, less than the S&P 500's 12.7%, with higher volatility (20.2% against 17.1%).

### Has MDLZ consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares MDLZ with the investments people most often weigh against it, checking each one over eight periods from one month to ten years.

- Three of the 20 popular alternatives, KO, ADM and SJM, outperformed MDLZ in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes.
- KO outperformed MDLZ in every long-term period and in all but one short-term period, the most consistent record in the group.
- WMT earned more for the risk it took than MDLZ (a higher Sharpe ratio) and fell less in its worst decline of the past 10 years.

| Investment | 1Y return | 3Y return | 5Y return | 10Y return | Periods ahead of MDLZ | Verdict | Sharpe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MDLZ: Mondelez International, Inc. (this page) | +5.5% | +9.2% | +21.5% | +93.4% |  |  | 0.29 |
| [KO](https://easycompare.io/research/ko): The Coca-Cola Company | +40.2% | +86.8% | +98.2% | +204% | 4/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | all-weather | 0.91 |
| [ADM](https://easycompare.io/research/adm): Archer-Daniels-Midland Company | +31.1% | +22.1% | +42.9% | +156% | 3/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | consistent | 0.40 |
| SJM: The J. M. Smucker Company | +28.1% | +29.3% | +26.7% | +37.2% | 5/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.32 |
| [COST](https://easycompare.io/research/cost): Costco Wholesale Corporation | +6.9% | +87.2% | +123% | +685% | 2/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.82 |
| [WMT](https://easycompare.io/research/wmt): Walmart Inc. | +11.0% | +130% | +158% | +508% | 2/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.96 |
| BG: Bunge Global S.A. | +8.6% | +10.6% | +34.5% | +131% | 1/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.35 |
| TR: Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. | −7.4% | +43.5% | +45.6% | +65.5% | 0/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | 0.42 |
| LWAY: Lifeway Foods, Inc. | −17.4% | +98.6% | +307% | +24.7% | 0/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | 0.74 |
| UTZ: Utz Brands, Inc. | +17.3% | +30.5% | −2.1% | — | 4/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.21 |
| HSY: The Hershey Company | −6.2% | −2.9% | +6.7% | +127% | 0/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.17 |
| [PEP](https://easycompare.io/research/pep): PepsiCo, Inc. | −9.2% | −6.7% | −2.3% | +72.6% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.07 |
| MKC: McCormick & Company, Incorporated | −27.3% | −13.5% | −33.6% | +24.3% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.20 |
| JJSF: J&J Snack Foods Corp. | −8.8% | −41.5% | −37.8% | −16.0% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.19 |
| GIS: General Mills, Inc. | −26.8% | −38.8% | −34.5% | −19.1% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.26 |
| HRL: Hormel Foods Corporation | −9.6% | −25.6% | −41.4% | −28.0% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.31 |
| FLO: Flowers Foods, Inc. | −48.7% | −65.4% | −69.3% | −41.7% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.77 |
| CAG: Conagra Brands, Inc. | −15.9% | −35.9% | −44.7% | −42.0% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.36 |
| CPB: Campbell Soup Company | −31.9% | −42.6% | −41.2% | −46.6% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.29 |
| KHC: The Kraft Heinz Company | −0.9% | −10.0% | −16.9% | −56.7% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.04 |
| BRBR: BellRing Brands, Inc. | −70.6% | −77.9% | −62.6% | — | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.14 |

### How did MDLZ do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 2002, along with where MDLZ ranked among its popular alternatives each year.

- MDLZ finished ahead of the S&P 500 in 11 of its 24 full calendar years, and behind it in each of the last three.
- Ranked against its popular alternatives each year, MDLZ finished in the top quarter in nine of 24 years and in the bottom quarter in four. In 2025, it ranked 10 of 21.
- Among its popular alternatives, BRBR came out ahead of MDLZ most often, in four of the six years both traded.

| Year | MDLZ | SPY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2025 | −7.0% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | −15.3% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +11.2% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | +2.9% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +15.9% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | +8.6% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +40.4% | +31.2% |
| 2018 | −4.3% | −4.6% |
| 2017 | −1.6% | +21.7% |
| 2016 | +0.6% | +12.0% |

## Risk and diversification

How MDLZ has fallen, how it held up in crashes beside the S&P 500 and its popular alternatives, and what moves independently of it.

### What were MDLZ's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high.

- Not every decline was the market's doing: MDLZ fell 29.2% from May 2023 to January 2026, while the S&P 500 rose 73.4%.
- The slowest recovery came after MDLZ fell 37.4% from June 2002 to March 2003; it did not regain that peak until June 2007, four years later.
- In three of MDLZ's five worst declines, the S&P 500 held up better over the same dates.

| Decline | Peak | Low | Back at the high | SPY over the same dates | Market event |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| −38.2% | September 19, 2008 | March 5, 2009 | September 9, 2010 | −44.1% | 2008 financial crisis |
| −37.4% | June 18, 2002 | March 10, 2003 | June 21, 2007 | −21.5% | dot-com bust |
| −29.8% | February 14, 2020 | March 23, 2020 | September 2, 2020 | −33.6% | Covid crash |
| −29.2% | May 11, 2023 | January 7, 2026 | not yet | +73.4% |  |
| −22.3% | October 22, 2015 | February 8, 2016 | May 15, 2017 | −9.1% | 2015 China and oil sell-off |

### How did MDLZ do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far MDLZ, the S&P 500 and each alternative fell from peak to trough during every major market crash since 2000.

- MDLZ fell less than the S&P 500 in seven of the nine crashes it has traded through. The clearest case was the 2008 financial crisis, when MDLZ fell 38.2% and the S&P 500 fell 55.2%.
- Among its popular alternatives, TR held up best, falling less than MDLZ in six of the nine crashes they both traded through.
- MDLZ began trading after the dot-com bust, but 16 of its popular alternatives lived through it. The mildest fall among them was MKC's 22.0%, against 47.5% for the S&P 500.

| Crash | Dates | MDLZ fall | SPY fall |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dot-com bust | March 10, 2000 to October 9, 2002 | not trading | −47.5% |
| Global financial crisis | October 9, 2007 to March 9, 2009 | −38.2% | −55.2% |
| Flash crash | May 6, 2010 to May 7, 2010 | 0.0% | −1.5% |
| Euro debt crisis | July 22, 2011 to October 3, 2011 | −7.4% | −17.9% |
| China devaluation & oil rout | August 10, 2015 to February 11, 2016 | −22.3% | −12.8% |
| Volmageddon | February 2, 2018 to February 9, 2018 | −7.4% | −6.5% |
| Q4 2018 selloff | September 21, 2018 to December 24, 2018 | −12.3% | −19.3% |
| COVID crash | February 19, 2020 to March 23, 2020 | −29.3% | −33.7% |
| 2022 bear market | January 4, 2022 to October 12, 2022 | −18.3% | −24.5% |
| SVB / regional bank stress | March 8, 2023 to March 13, 2023 | −0.5% | −3.4% |

### How closely does MDLZ move with the S&P 500?

Upside capture measures how much of the S&P 500's gains an investment kept in the months the market rose, and downside capture how much of its losses it took in the months the market fell.

- Over the past 10 years, MDLZ captured 45% of the S&P 500's gains in rising months and 55% of its losses in falling months, with a beta of 0.52. Its share of the market's losses was larger than its share of the gains.
- HSY took just 25% of the S&P 500's losses, against 55% for MDLZ, while still keeping 38% of its gains.
- Seven of the 17 popular alternatives had a higher capture ratio (upside capture divided by downside capture) than MDLZ's 0.82, led by WMT, COST and TR.

Measured over the past 10 years of monthly returns against SPY.

| Investment | Upside capture | Downside capture | Beta |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MDLZ: Mondelez International, Inc. (this page) | 45.0% | 55.0% | 0.52 |
| [KO](https://easycompare.io/research/ko): The Coca-Cola Company | 57.0% | 44.0% | 0.47 |
| [ADM](https://easycompare.io/research/adm): Archer-Daniels-Midland Company | 72.0% | 79.0% | 0.75 |
| SJM: The J. M. Smucker Company | 25.0% | 38.0% | 0.30 |
| [COST](https://easycompare.io/research/cost): Costco Wholesale Corporation | 93.0% | 50.0% | 0.77 |
| [WMT](https://easycompare.io/research/wmt): Walmart Inc. | 74.0% | 36.0% | 0.53 |
| BG: Bunge Global S.A. | 67.0% | 72.0% | 0.66 |
| TR: Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. | 22.0% | 12.0% | 0.17 |
| LWAY: Lifeway Foods, Inc. | 7.0% | 0.0% | 1.18 |
| HSY: The Hershey Company | 38.0% | 25.0% | 0.24 |
| [PEP](https://easycompare.io/research/pep): PepsiCo, Inc. | 48.0% | 65.0% | 0.48 |
| MKC: McCormick & Company, Incorporated | 53.0% | 96.0% | 0.57 |
| JJSF: J&J Snack Foods Corp. | 32.0% | 82.0% | 0.50 |
| GIS: General Mills, Inc. | 22.0% | 65.0% | 0.27 |
| HRL: Hormel Foods Corporation | 6.0% | 37.0% | 0.15 |
| FLO: Flowers Foods, Inc. | 9.0% | 58.0% | 0.36 |
| CAG: Conagra Brands, Inc. | 25.0% | 90.0% | 0.42 |
| CPB: Campbell Soup Company | 6.0% | 58.0% | 0.30 |
| KHC: The Kraft Heinz Company | 19.0% | 100% | 0.58 |

### What diversifies MDLZ?

Correlation measures how closely two investments move together, on a scale from 1 (in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to -1 (in opposite directions).

- Moving a fifth of the money in MDLZ into DXJ would have cut the portfolio's volatility by 17% over the past 5 years and raised its annual return (+2.6% for MDLZ alone, +7.5% for the mix).
- FIX made money in seven of the eight calendar years in which MDLZ lost money.
- Among large ETFs, DXJ, EMLP and SMH have moved largely independently of MDLZ over the past 5 years, with correlations of 0.41 or lower, and each still earned a positive 5-year return.

| Investment | Correlation with MDLZ | 5Y return | Volatility | Sharpe | Rose in MDLZ's 8 down years |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| DXJ: WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund | 0.18 | +225% | 19.1% | 1.34 | 3 of 8 |
| EMLP: First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund | 0.41 | +101% | 14.5% | 1.04 | 3 of 8 |
| [SMH](https://easycompare.io/research/smh): VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 0.07 | +323% | 36.9% | 0.97 | 6 of 8 |
| DBEF: Xtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF | 0.41 | +85.0% | 13.8% | 0.96 | 3 of 8 |
| [GLD](https://easycompare.io/research/gld): SPDR Gold Shares | 0.32 | +126% | 18.9% | 0.96 | 6 of 8 |
| SPMO: Invesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF | 0.16 | +136% | 20.8% | 0.93 | 3 of 8 |
| [XLE](https://easycompare.io/research/xle): State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.33 | +177% | 25.5% | 0.93 | 5 of 8 |
| [VTV](https://easycompare.io/research/vtv): Vanguard Morningstar Value ETF | 0.49 | +76.6% | 13.7% | 0.90 | 4 of 8 |

## Common questions

### What was MDLZ's worst drawdown?

MDLZ's deepest decline since it began trading in 2001 was 38.2%, from September 2008 to March 2009. It took 18 months from the low to climb back to its old high.

### What were MDLZ's best and worst years?

Over 24 full calendar years, MDLZ's best year was 2012, when it returned 121%. Its worst was 2005, with a return of -17.3%.

### Is there a better investment than MDLZ?

Among MDLZ's popular alternatives, KO earned more than MDLZ with less volatility over the past 5 years: 14.7% a year at 16.8% volatility, against 4.0% a year at 20.2%. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, MNST (food & beverages) and CCEP (food & beverages) were ahead of MDLZ in most short and long periods.

### Is MDLZ more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. MDLZ's volatility over the past 5 years was 20.2%, 1.2 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, MDLZ's return lands within 20.2% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump.

### What is MDLZ's Sharpe ratio?

MDLZ's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.29, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so MDLZ earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings.

### How correlated is MDLZ with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, MDLZ's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.31 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They are only loosely linked, which makes it a real diversifier next to an index fund. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against MDLZ instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a MDLZ holding.

### What are the best alternatives to MDLZ?

Of the 20 popular alternatives we compared, three outperformed MDLZ in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: KO, ADM and SJM.

### Did MDLZ outperform the S&P 500?

MDLZ finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in 11 of 24 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned -7.0%, against +17.7% for the index.

### How did MDLZ do in stock market crashes?

MDLZ fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in seven of the nine major crashes it has traded through, and further in two. The clearest case was the 2008 financial crisis, when MDLZ fell 38.2% and the S&P 500 fell 55.2%.

### What diversifies MDLZ?

These had a low correlation with MDLZ over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, DXJ (correlation 0.18), EMLP (correlation 0.41) and SMH (correlation 0.07); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.23), CLS (correlation -0.13) and FIX (correlation 0.11). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

## More research

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## Explore further

- Full page with charts: https://easycompare.io/research/mdlz
- All research pages: https://easycompare.io/llms.txt
- Compare the entire market against MDLZ live: https://betterthanspy.com/?b=MDLZ&utm_source=easycompare&utm_medium=research