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Hershey (HSY) Stock Moves -0.08%: What You Should Know

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In the latest trading session, Hershey (HSY - Free Report) closed at $214.90, marking a -0.08% move from the previous day. This change was narrower than the S&P 500's 0.13% loss on the day. Elsewhere, the Dow lost 0.15%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 0.14%.

Prior to today's trading, shares of the chocolate bar and candy maker had gained 0.76% over the past month. This has outpaced the Consumer Staples sector's loss of 1.05% and the S&P 500's loss of 3.32% in that time.

Hershey will be looking to display strength as it nears its next earnings release. On that day, Hershey is projected to report earnings of $1.66 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 12.93%. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $2.22 billion, up 11.59% from the year-ago period.

HSY's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $8.03 per share and revenue of $9.97 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +11.84% and +11.11%, respectively.

Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Hershey should also be noted by investors. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company's business outlook.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable 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. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.24% lower within the past month. Hershey is holding a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now.

In terms of valuation, Hershey is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 26.77. This valuation marks a premium compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 25.07.

Meanwhile, HSY's PEG ratio is currently 3.49. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. The Food - Confectionery was holding an average PEG ratio of 3.49 at yesterday's closing price.

The Food - Confectionery industry is part of the Consumer Staples sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 54, putting it in the top 22% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank includes is listed in order 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.

Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.


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