Hershey (HSY) Stock Slides as Market Rises: Facts to Know Before You Trade

Group 1 - Hershey's stock closed at $162.22, down 1.99% from the previous day, underperforming the S&P 500's gain of 0.16% [1] - The stock has decreased by 11.58% over the past month, compared to a 5.98% loss in the Consumer Staples sector and a 2.8% loss in the S&P 500 [1] Group 2 - The upcoming earnings report is expected to show an EPS of$ 2.38, a 17.82% increase year-over-year, with revenue anticipated at $2.86 billion, reflecting a 7.55% rise [2] - Recent analyst projections for Hershey are crucial, as positive revisions indicate a favorable outlook on the company's business health and profitability [3] Group 3 - The Zacks Rank system currently rates Hershey as 5 (Strong Sell), with the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate having decreased by 1.69% in the past month [5] - Hershey's Forward P/E ratio stands at 20.64, higher than the industry average of 20.02, indicating it is trading at a premium [6] - The company has a PEG ratio of 4.48, compared to the industry average of 3.75, suggesting a higher valuation relative to projected earnings growth [6] Group 4 - The Food - Confectionery industry, part of the Consumer Staples sector, has a Zacks Industry Rank of 242, placing it in the bottom 4% of over 250 industries [7] - The Zacks Industry Rank measures the strength of industry groups, with top-rated industries outperforming the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1 [7]