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Hershey (HSY) Increases Despite Market Slip: Here's What You Need to Know

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In the latest close session, Hershey (HSY - Free Report) was up +1.37% at $162.54. The stock outpaced the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.47%. On the other hand, the Dow registered a gain of 0.1%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq decreased by 1.25%.

The stock of chocolate bar and candy maker has fallen by 6.88% in the past month, lagging the Consumer Staples sector's loss of 4.53% and the S&P 500's gain of 1.15%.

Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Hershey in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is expected to report EPS of $2.11, up 62.31% from the prior-year quarter. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $3.25 billion, indicating a 2.3% upward movement from the same quarter last year.

Regarding the entire year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates forecast earnings of $8.49 per share and revenue of $12.29 billion, indicating changes of +34.55% and +5.12%, respectively, compared to the previous year.

It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for Hershey. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has remained steady. At present, Hershey boasts a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Digging into valuation, Hershey currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 18.89. This indicates a premium in contrast to its industry's Forward P/E of 18.26.

It's also important to note that HSY currently trades at a PEG ratio of 1.27. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. The Food - Confectionery industry currently had an average PEG ratio of 1.27 as of yesterday's close.

The Food - Confectionery industry is part of the Consumer Staples sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 107, putting it in the top 44% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our 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.

To follow HSY in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.

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