Hershey Company

Hershey plans to position dark chocolate as a lifestyle choice in the US. It has thus begun promoting its dark chocolate brands for specific consumption.

Hershey is the largest producer of chocolate in North America. It is a global leader in chocolate, sugar confectionery, and chocolate-related products.

Most analysts lowered their target prices on General Mills stock following the release of its results for the second quarter of fiscal 2019.

J.M. Smucker (SJM) has continued to disappoint on the sales front this year, having posted declines in sales for the past several quarters.

Hershey has set a goal of sourcing 100% cocoa from certified cocoa farms. In fiscal 2014, it sourced 30% certified cocoa.

The Hershey Company (HSY) has a market cap of $24.2 billion. Its stock rose by 16.8% to close at $113.49 per share on June 30, 2016.

The Hershey Company (HSY) has a market cap of $23.8 billion. It rose by 0.71% to close at $111.67 per share on August 29, 2016.

Hershey is the fastest-growing confectionery company in China, and Hershey expects China to become its second-largest market behind the US by 2017.

The Hershey Company (HSY) has a market cap of $21.3 billion. It fell by 10.8% to close at $99.65 per share on August 30, 2016.

Current recommendations As of January 30, 15 of 20 analysts covering Mondelēz International’s stock had a “buy” rating. Five analysts had a “hold” recommendation, and there were no “sell” recommendations. On January 5, 2017, Berenberg Bank initiated coverage on Mondelēz International’s stock with a “buy” rating and a price target of $51. Consensus “buy” rating […]

The Campbell Soup Company (CPB) continued to report sluggish margins as higher-than-expected inflation in commodities and transportation costs remained a drag.

Hershey (HSY) stock is trading at a record high thanks to the company’s price restructuring initiatives. The stock has risen 42.7% this year.

Wall Street has a price target of $114.54 per share on the J.M. Smucker Company (SJM), implying a potential downside of 5.6% based on its closing price of $121.31 on June 24.

Wall Street maintains a consensus target price of $122.93 per share on the Hershey Company (HSY), which implies a potential downside of 10.9% based on its closing price of $137.90 on June 19.

Most of the analysts covering Kellogg continue to maintain a neutral outlook on the stock, which reflects near-term pressure on its earnings.

Shares of Kraft Heinz (KHC) crashed more than 27% on Friday, February 22, as weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter results and sluggish guidance upset investors.

Analysts continue to suggest a “hold” rating on Kellogg (K) stock. Analysts’ target price shows a downward trend.

McCormick (MKC) has seen double-digit sales and earnings growth over the past couple of quarters.

Analysts expect General Mills (GIS) to report sales of $3.8 billion in fiscal 3Q18, reflecting a marginal decline of 0.5% on a YoY (year-over-year) basis.

Kellogg (K) posted improved profit margins despite lower sales, thanks to the company’s focus on efficiency and initiatives to reduce costs.

Unlike its gross margin, Hershey’s operating margin expanded to 18.7% in 3Q16 from 15.5% in 3Q15. This improvement was mainly due to a favorable comparison with 3Q15.

Mondelēz International’s (MDLZ) stock rose 3.6% to $44.32 per share on October 26, 2016, after the announcement of the company’s 3Q16 results.

General Mills (GIS) has a market cap of $42.6 billion. It fell by 1.3% to close at $70.51 per share on August 30, 2016.

General Mills (GIS) has a market cap of $42.7 billion. It rose by 0.01% to close at $71.07 per share on August 11, 2016.

In its fiscal 2Q16 earnings release, Kellogg stated that it expects its fiscal 2016 cash flow from operating activities to be ~$1.7 billion.

On July 28, 2016, Hershey (HSY) declared its 347th consecutive regular dividend on its common stock and 128th consecutive regular dividend on its Class B common stock.

Hershey (HSY) reported its fiscal 2Q16 earnings on July 28, 2016. Adjusted EPS came in around $0.85 for 2Q16, a growth of 9% compared to $0.78 in 2Q15.

General Mills rose by 0.66% to close at $71.69 per share on July 25. The stock’s weekly, monthly, and YTD price movements were -0.82%, 8.1%, and 27.1%.

On May 4, Hershey (HSY) announced that its board of directors approved quarterly dividends of $0.58 on the common stock and $0.53 on the Class B common stock.

General Mills fell by 1.1% to close at $71.22 per share in the third week of July. Its weekly, monthly, and YTD price movements were -1.1%, 8.0%, and 26.2%.

Analysts expect Hershey’s adjusted EPS to be $0.78, which is in line with 2Q15 EPS.

The company expects that the barkTHINS acquisition will be dilutive in 2016 and 2017, before turning accretive in 2018.

Analysts expect Mondelez’s adjusted EPS to be $0.40 compared to $0.47 in 2Q15.

Mondelez International (MDLZ), maker of Cadbury chocolates and Oreo cookies, is all set to report its fiscal 2Q16 earnings results on July 27 before the market opens.

Mondelez wanted a greater share in the North American market to recover from its declining revenue growth. Hershey would have benefited Mondelez’s revenue.

Hershey had a total debt of $2.4 billion on its balance sheet in 2014. It had a total debt-to-equity ratio of 195% during the same period.

The Kellogg Company’s (K) net sales in 3Q15 fell 8.5% quarter-over-quarter to $3.3 billion due to the effect of currency translation. The company also missed analyst estimates of $3.4 billion in revenue.

Hershey’s international segment contributes only ~30% of total revenues. Its goal is to increase international revenues to ~50% of total revenues by 2018.

Along with advertising, Hershey is focusing on cross-merchandising complimentary products like beverages and snacks, which should help expand consumption.

In 2010, Hershey announced Project Next Century, which aims to streamline its global supply chain operations and create a more competitive cost structure.

Hershey applies a micro-marketing concept to its businesses, which means that it markets certain products to small target audiences.

In its international business, Hershey is mainly focusing in emerging markets of Mexico, Brazil, India, and China.

Hershey is a leading player in the confectionery industry, which grew globally at a CAGR of 4.9% from 2009–2014, reaching $198.4 billion in 2014.

Cocoa bean production is being pushed to fulfill the current demand. A major reason for the decline in cocoa supply is the unproductive mature cocoa trees in West Africa.

According to Kantar World Panel’s Brand Footprint 2015 report, Procter & Gamble’s (PG) fabric softener Downy was the fastest-growing brand in 2014.

The Archer Daniels Midland Company is a processor of oilseeds, corn, wheat, cocoa, and other agricultural commodities.