For the quarter ended June 2024, Hershey (HSY Quick QuoteHSY - Free Report) reported revenue of $2.07 billion, down 16.7% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $1.27, compared to $2.01 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of -9.71% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.3 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.44, the EPS surprise was -11.81%.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.

Here is how Hershey performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Net Sales- North America

  : $1.87 billion versus $2.06 billion estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -17.5% change.

• Net Sales- International

  : $204.76 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $224.47 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -8.9%.

• Net Sales- North America Confectionery

  : $1.58 billion versus $1.79 billion estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -20.7% change.

• Net Sales- North America Salty Snacks

  : $289.89 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $276.08 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +6.4%.

• Segment Income (loss)- North America Confectionery

  : $464.50 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $543.87 million.

• Unallocated corporate expense

  : $158.23 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of -$196.82 million.

• Segment Income (loss)- North America Salty Snacks

  : $52.20 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $42.57 million.

View all Key Company Metrics for Hershey here>>>

Shares of Hershey have returned +7.5% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.1% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.