Hershey (HSY) ended the recent trading session at $190.65, demonstrating a -2.76% change from the preceding day's closing price. This change lagged the S&P 500's 0.55% gain on the day. On the other hand, the Dow registered a gain of 0.63%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq increased by 0.91%.
Shares of the chocolate bar and candy maker have appreciated by 6.1% over the course of the past month, outperforming the Consumer Staples sector's gain of 2.61%, and the S&P 500's gain of 0.71%.
The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of Hershey in its forthcoming earnings report. The company is scheduled to release its earnings on February 5, 2026. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $1.4, reflecting a 47.96% decrease from the same quarter last year. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $2.98 billion, indicating a 3.34% upward movement from the same quarter last year.
In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $6 per share and a revenue of $11.59 billion, indicating changes of -35.97% and 0%, respectively, from the former year.
It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for Hershey. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.
Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.16% higher. At present, Hershey boasts a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Investors should also note Hershey's current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 28.22. This signifies a premium in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 19.56 for its industry.
The Food - Confectionery industry is part of the Consumer Staples sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 4, positioning it in the top 2% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Keep in mind to rely on Zacks.com to watch all these stock-impacting metrics, and more, in the succeeding trading sessions.
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Hershey Company (The) (HSY): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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