Finance & economics | Hot chocolate

Why the global cocoa market is melting down

Toblerones could soon become luxury goods

A cocoa farmer dries cocoa beans near Abengourou, eastern Ivory Coast.
Photograph: Getty Images

BARRY CALLEBAUT, the world’s largest maker of bulk chocolate, is full of beans. Its share price has jumped by 20% since April, when it reported higher sales volumes despite a steep rise in the cost of cocoa. Peter Feld, its boss, told investors not to worry about expensive ingredients: “What goes up fast comes down fast.”

This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Bitter prospects”

From the May 11th 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

Discover more

illustration of a stern-faced man in a suit with a green tie, set against a bright green background. A small building with a flag is depicted in the pocket of his suit

The great-man theory of Wall Street

Why finance is still dominated by bold individuals

Hong Kong’s property slump may be terminal

Demographics and geopolitics will make a recovery harder


A float is inflated in preparation for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Why everyone wants to lend to weak companies

An unanticipated side-effect of Donald Trump’s election victory


American veterans now receive absurdly generous benefits

An enormous rise in disability payments may complicate debt-reduction efforts

Why Black Friday sales grow more annoying every year

Nobody is to blame. Everyone suffers

Trump wastes no time in reigniting trade wars

Canada and Mexico look likely to suffer