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Hershey (HSY) Q1 Earnings: How Key Metrics Compare to Wall Street Estimates

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Hershey (HSY - Free Report) reported $3.1 billion in revenue for the quarter ended March 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 10.7%. EPS of $2.35 for the same period compares to $2.09 a year ago.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +2.5% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.03 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $2.05, the EPS surprise was +14.43%.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

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 $2.81 billion estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +10.2% change.
  • Net Sales- North America Salty Snacks: $350.07 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $343.67 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +26%.
  • Net Sales- North America Confectionery: $2.49 billion versus $2.47 billion estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +8.3% change.
  • Net Sales- International: $264.18 million versus $239.18 million estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +16.1% change.

View all Key Company Metrics for Hershey here>>>

Shares of Hershey have returned -6.8% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +12.2% 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.

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