The Swiss confectioner makes everything from vending machine staples like Kit Kat to weight loss products by Jenny Craig. On the beverage side, Nestle makes eight different kinds of Nescafe, as well as bottled waters Perrier and Poland Spring.
In addition to snacks for humans, Nestle is in the pet food business, with brands such as Fancy Feast and Purina under its umbrella. It also has a large stake in French cosmetics company L'Oreal.
Given its size and scale, analysts say Nestle is well positioned to deal with volatile commodity prices. And its global footprint means Nestle is poised to take advantage of growth in emerging markets.
While the Unites States remains its biggest market, Nestle has reported strong sales growth in China, Brazil and India.
"We continue to believe that Nestle remains one of the best plays on the emerging food opportunity in India from a long-term perspective," analysts at Nomura Securities wrote in a recent research report.
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