Hershey is a quality international consumer staple sector company with an "A" S&P credit rating and 15 years of paying a rising dividend. It rarely has a dividend yield over 3% which it easily does now. Despite earnings dip for 2025 and issues with consumer healthy tastes, the company continues to meet the demand with new "Better For You" products.
Hershey shares have pulled back to attractive levels due to cocoa price spikes, tariffs, and higher interest rates, creating a solid entry point for long-term investors. Cocoa price volatility is a major headwind for 2025 but I don't see it impacting the firm's longer-term trajectory. Hershey faces meaningful but not unmanageable risk from tariffs.
Hershey's margins are under sustained pressure, with volume declines, elevated cocoa prices, and new tariffs creating a challenging environment for profitability. Despite strong brands and management, the current stock price reflects overly optimistic expectations for a return to normalcy, prompting my exit. Tariffs could significantly impact Hershey's earnings as outlined by management, adding to existing cost pressures and making the stock less attractive.
Consumer staple stocks are a compelling bet during heightened economic uncertainty.
HSY's first-quarter results reflect lower year-over-year earnings and sales amid economic uncertainty and heightened cost pressure.
The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY ) Q1 2025 Earnings Conference Call May 1, 2025 8:30 AM ET Company Participants Anoori Naughton - Senior Director, Investor Relations Michele Buck - Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Steve Voskuil - Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Conference Call Participants Ken Goldman - JPMorgan Andrew Lazar - Barclays Max Gumport - BNP Paribas David Palmer - Evercore ISI Robert Moskow - TD Cowen Jim Salera - Stephens Peter Galbo - Bank of America Alexia Howard - Bernstein Michael Lavery - Piper Sandler Megan Klapp - Morgan Stanley Thomas Palmer - Citi Leah Jordan - Goldman Sachs Christopher Carey - Wells Fargo Securities Scott Marks - Jefferies Bingqing Zhu - Redburn Atlantic Operator Greetings and welcome to The Hershey Company First Quarter 2025 Question & Answer Session. [Operator Instructions] At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode.
Although the revenue and EPS for Hershey (HSY) give a sense of how its business performed in the quarter ended March 2025, it might be worth considering how some key metrics compare with Wall Street estimates and the year-ago numbers.
Hershey (HSY) came out with quarterly earnings of $2.09 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.94 per share. This compares to earnings of $3.07 per share a year ago.
Hershey first-quarter earnings fell and the company expects to take a hit from tariffs of up to $20 million this quarter.
In a market often seeking refuge in stability, confectionery and snack giant The Hershey Company NYSE: HSY is generating noticeable pre-earnings buzz. Despite facing stock price pressure over the past year, down approximately 14%, reports indicate heightened investor attention surrounding the company ahead of its Q1 2025 earnings release on May 1st.
Looking beyond Wall Street's top -and-bottom-line estimate forecasts for Hershey (HSY), delve into some of its key metrics to gain a deeper insight into the company's potential performance for the quarter ended March 2025.
HSY's Q1 results are likely to reflect challenges from historically high cocoa prices and a financially stretched consumer base.