For the quarter ended December 2025, Hershey (HSY Quick QuoteHSY - Free Report) reported revenue of $3.09 billion, up 7.1% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $1.71, compared to $2.69 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3 billion, representing a surprise of +2.98%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +21.74%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $1.41.

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: $2.84 billion versus $2.75 billion estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +7.7% change.
• Net Sales- North America Salty Snacks: $356.96 million versus $301.8 million estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +28% change.
• Net Sales- North America Confectionery: $2.48 billion versus the five-analyst average estimate of $2.45 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +5.3%.
• Net Sales- International: $255.56 million versus the five-analyst average estimate of $246.33 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +0.4%.

View all Key Company Metrics for Hershey here>>>

Shares of Hershey have returned +14.3% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.5% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), indicating that it could outperform the broader market in the near term.