Hershey (HSY) closed at $202.31 in the latest trading session, marking a -4.05% move from the prior day. The stock's performance was behind the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.11%. On the other hand, the Dow registered a loss of 0.56%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq increased by 0.35%.
The stock of chocolate bar and candy maker has fallen by 2.16% in the past month, leading the Consumer Staples sector's loss of 2.74% and undershooting the S&P 500's gain of 0.51%.
Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Hershey in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings report is set to be unveiled on April 30, 2026. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $2.05, showcasing a 1.91% downward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $3.02 billion, up 7.59% from the year-ago period.
For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $8.22 per share and revenue of $12.25 billion, which would represent changes of +30.27% and +4.78%, respectively, from the prior year.
Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Hershey. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the business and profitability.
Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.
Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.11% higher. Hershey presently features a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
Investors should also note Hershey's current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 25.66. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 15.89, so one might conclude that Hershey is trading at a premium comparatively.
Also, we should mention that HSY has a PEG ratio of 1.3. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. As of the close of trade yesterday, the Food - Confectionery industry held an average PEG ratio of 1.3.
The Food - Confectionery industry is part of the Consumer Staples sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 215, which puts it in the bottom 12% of all 250+ industries.
The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com.
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Hershey Company (The) (HSY): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).