Hershey (HSY) Q3 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates

Core Insights - Hershey reported $2.99 billion in revenue for Q3 2024, a year-over-year decline of 1.4% and below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of$ 3.07 billion, resulting in a surprise of -2.79% [1] - The company's EPS for the quarter was $2.34, down from$ 2.60 a year ago, with an EPS surprise of -6.40% compared to the consensus estimate of $2.50 [1] Revenue Performance - North America Net Sales were$ 2.77 billion, missing the average estimate of $2.84 billion, reflecting a year-over-year change of -1.2% [3] - International Net Sales were$ 218.36 million, below the average estimate of $243.88 million, representing a year-over-year decline of -3.9% [3] - North America Confectionery Net Sales reached$ 2.48 billion, slightly below the average estimate of $2.52 billion, with a year-over-year increase of +0.8% [3] - North America Salty Snacks Net Sales were$ 291.84 million, falling short of the average estimate of $316.01 million, showing a significant year-over-year decline of -15.5% [3] Segment Income Analysis - North America Confectionery Segment Income was$ 724.82 million, compared to the estimated $772.65 million [3] - Unallocated Corporate Expense Segment showed a loss of$ 139.02 million, contrasting with the estimated loss of - $186.74 million [3] - North America Salty Snacks Segment Income was$ 53.98 million, slightly above the average estimate of $49.98 million [3] Stock Performance - Hershey's shares have returned -5.4% over the past month, while the Zacks S&P 500 composite increased by +3.2% [4] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 5 (Strong Sell), indicating potential underperformance relative to the broader market in the near term [4]