Hershey (HSY Quick QuoteHSY - Free Report) reported $2.99 billion in revenue for the quarter ended March 2023, representing a year-over-year increase of 12.1%. EPS of $2.96 for the same period compares to $2.53 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.9 billion, representing a surprise of +2.97%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +10.86%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $2.67.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how Hershey performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Net Sales- North America Salty Snacks: $269.99 million versus the five-analyst average estimate of $272.58 million.
• Net Sales- North America Confectionery: $2.45 billion versus $2.38 billion estimated by five analysts on average.
• Net Sales- International: $265.46 million compared to the $234.83 million average estimate based on four analysts.
• Net Sales- North America: $2.72 billion compared to the $2.66 billion average estimate based on three analysts.

View all Key Company Metrics for Hershey here>>>

Shares of Hershey have returned +3.6% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.2% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.