Hershey (HSY) Falls More Steeply Than Broader Market: What Investors Need to Know

Hershey (HSY) closed at $185.26 in the latest trading session, marking a -2.95% move from the prior day. The stock fell short of the S&P 500, which registered a loss of 0.5% for the day. On the other hand, the Dow registered a loss of 0.38%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq decreased by 0.5%. Coming into today, shares of the chocolate bar and candy maker had gained 5.08% in the past month. In that same time, the Consumer Staples sector lost 3.92%, while the S&P 500 gained 2.74%. Market participants will be closely following the financial results of Hershey in its upcoming release. In that report, analysts expect Hershey to post earnings of $1.06 per share. This would mark a year-over-year decline of 54.7%. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $3.11 billion, indicating a 4.1% upward movement from the same quarter last year. HSY's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $5.92 per share and revenue of $11.51 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of -36.82% and +2.78%, respectively. Investors should also pay attention to any latest changes in analyst estimates for Hershey. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the business health and profitability. Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. 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, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.24% higher. Right now, Hershey possesses a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). In terms of valuation, Hershey is presently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 32.24. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 22.27, so one might conclude that Hershey is trading at a premium comparatively. One should further note that HSY currently holds a PEG ratio of 4.61. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. Food - Confectionery stocks are, on average, holding a PEG ratio of 3.55 based on yesterday's closing prices. The Food - Confectionery industry is part of the Consumer Staples sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 210, finds itself in the bottom 15% echelons of all 250+ industries. The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1. Don't forget to use Zacks.com to keep track of all these stock-moving metrics, and others, in the upcoming trading sessions. Free Report: Profiting from the 2nd Wave of AI ExplosionThe next phase of the AI explosion is poised to create significant wealth for investors, especially those who get in early. It will add literally trillion of dollars to the economy and revolutionize nearly every part of our lives.Investors who bought shares like Nvidia at the right time have had a shot at huge gains.But the rocket ride in the "first wave" of AI stocks may soon come to an end. The sharp upward trajectory of these stocks will begin to level off, leaving exponential growth to a new wave of cutting-edge companies.Zacks' AI Boom 2.0: The Second Wave report reveals 4 under-the-radar companies that may soon be shining stars of AI’s next leap forward.Access AI Boom 2.0 now, absolutely free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Hershey Company (The) (HSY): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks