As you might know, The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) just kicked off its latest first-quarter results with some very strong numbers. The company beat expectations with revenues of US$3.1b arriving 2.6% ahead of forecasts. Statutory earnings per share (EPS) were US$2.13, 8.1% ahead of estimates. Earnings are an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance, look at what the analysts are forecasting for next year, and see if there's been a change in sentiment towards the company. Readers will be glad to know we've aggregated the latest statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their mind on Hershey after the latest results.

Taking into account the latest results, the current consensus from Hershey's 23 analysts is for revenues of US$12.3b in 2026. This would reflect a credible 2.2% increase on its revenue over the past 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to leap 48% to US$8.00. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$12.2b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$8.12 in 2026. So it's pretty clear that, although the analysts have updated their estimates, there's been no major change in expectations for the business following the latest results.

There were no changes to revenue or earnings estimates or the price target of US$217, suggesting that the company has met expectations in its recent result. The consensus price target is just an average of individual analyst targets, so - it could be handy to see how wide the range of underlying estimates is. The most optimistic Hershey analyst has a price target of US$255 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at US$166. There are definitely some different views on the stock, but the range of estimates is not wide enough as to imply that the situation is unforecastable, in our view.

These estimates are interesting, but it can be useful to paint some more broad strokes when seeing how forecasts compare, both to the Hershey's past performance and to peers in the same industry. We would highlight that Hershey's revenue growth is expected to slow, with the forecast 2.9% annualised growth rate until the end of 2026 being well below the historical 6.1% p.a. growth over the last five years. Juxtapose this against the other companies in the industry with analyst coverage, which are forecast to grow their revenues (in aggregate) 2.4% annually. So it's pretty clear that, while Hershey's revenue growth is expected to slow, it's expected to grow roughly in line with the industry.

The Bottom Line

The most obvious conclusion is that there's been no major change in the business' prospects in recent times, with the analysts holding their earnings forecasts steady, in line with previous estimates. Happily, there were no real changes to revenue forecasts, with the business still expected to grow in line with the overall industry. The consensus price target held steady at US$217, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets.

With that said, the long-term trajectory of the company's earnings is a lot more important than next year. We have forecasts for Hershey going out to 2028, and you can see them free on our platform here.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.