Hershey(US:HSY) ZACKSยท2024-07-10 23:20Company Performance - Hershey's stock closed at $185.68, reflecting a +1.6% increase compared to the previous day, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 1.02% [1] - Over the last month, Hershey's shares decreased by 4.12%, underperforming the Consumer Staples sector's loss of 2.18% and the S&P 500's gain of 4.44% [1] - The upcoming earnings report on August 1, 2024, is projected to show earnings per share (EPS) of $1.45, a 27.86% decrease from the same quarter last year, with net sales expected to be $2.31 billion, down 7.09% year-over-year [1] Analyst Estimates - The full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates for Hershey are earnings of $9.59 per share and revenue of $11.44 billion, indicating year-over-year changes of 0% and +2.43%, respectively [2] - Recent modifications to analyst estimates are crucial as they reflect short-term business trends, with positive revisions indicating optimism about the company's outlook [2] Valuation Metrics - Hershey currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 19.05, which is a discount compared to the industry average Forward P/E of 19.4 [3] - The company has a PEG ratio of 4.09, compared to the Food - Confectionery industry's average PEG ratio of 3.23 [3] Industry Context - The Food - Confectionery industry is part of the Consumer Staples sector and currently holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 229, placing it within the bottom 10% of over 250 industries [4] - The Zacks Industry Rank measures the strength of industry groups, with the top 50% rated industries outperforming the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1 [4]