Mondelez (NASDAQ:MDLZ), a leading snack company with iconic brands such as Oreo, Trident and Cadbury, contributed 32 basis points to the Fund’s return, as its stock rose 13.4% from $40.12 to $45.51. The stock spiked at the end of the quarter after the company made a $23 billion bid for Hershey in an effort to create the world’s largest candy maker. Although Hershey swiftly rejected the offer, Mondelez’s stock still rallied, because Mondelez itself is an acquisition target. Many investors believe Mondelez approached Hershey in order to fend off an acquirer. While we don’t know how economy. U.S. investors are worried that slowing European growth will reduce export demand for American companies. Additionally, the decline in value of the British pound and euro make a bad situation worse, because revenue earned in these currencies is now worth less when converted into U.S. dollars. If this story about concerns over a foreign economy sounds familiar, that’s because it is. The S&P 500 has endured two 10% corrections over the past year due to China’s slowing economy and falling currency. China and the European Union together represent one-third of the global economy, so there are good reasons to be concerned.
From Jerome Dodson (Trades, Portfolio)'s Parnassus Fund second quarter 2016 commentary.
