Let's take a quick look at two companies that reported earnings earlier in the week. One is a favorite of chocolate lovers while the other is all fun and games.

We'll start with the sweeter of the two, Hershey (HSY), which posted its release on Wednesday. The Associated Press indicates that fourth-quarter adjusted income of 61 cents per share only equaled what the analysts were looking for. If you're a shareholder, you probably were disappointed. After all, you always want a beat. If the bottom line didn't go beyond the forecast, there's always the top line, right?

Continue reading Two Quarterly Reports: Hershey and Mattel

Two Quarterly Reports: Hershey and Mattel originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hershey Set to Report Q4 Numbers

Hershey Set to Report Q4 Numbers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hershey (HSY) is rocking today after receiving an upgrade. According to our Analyst Calls piece, Wells Fargo believes the stock won't just be a market performer; instead, it has been granted an outperform rating.

At the time of this writing, shares were higher by 2.1% to $49.82. That's not too far away from the 52-week high of $52.10, and it is well above the 52-week low of $35.95. Here's the one-year chart. As can be seen, the action has been sideways for a while.

Continue reading Hershey Trading Higher After Upgrade

Hershey Trading Higher After Upgrade originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• NYSE Euronex (NYX) to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• General Dynamics (GD) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Deere (DE), Parker-Hannifin (PH) and ExlService (EXLS) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Aflac (AFL) to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• Wynn Resorts (WYNN) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• Amdocs (DOX) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Juniper (JNPR) to buy from hold at ThinkEquity.
• Rudolph Tech (RTEC) and KLA-Tencor (KLAC) to perform from underperform at Oppenheimer.
• Hershey (HSY) and Pinnacle Entertainment (PNK) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Spirit AeroSystems (SPR) to equal weight from underweight at Morgan Stanley.
• Micron (MU) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AFL, DE, DOX, GD, GS, HSY, ITT, MS, NYX, TXN, UBS, WYNN ...

Analyst Calls: AFL, DE, DOX, GD, GS, HSY, ITT, MS, NYX, TXN, UBS, WYNN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Exxon Mobil (XOM) and BB&T (BBT) to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• D.R. Horton (DHI) upgraded to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Meritage Homes (MTH), Old Dominion Freight (ODFL) and Heartland Payment (HPY) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Toll Brothers (TOL) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Hershey (HSY) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• UnitedHealth (UNH), Cigna (CI) and Allscripts (MDRX) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Nationwide Health (NHP) to outperform from market perform at JMP Securities.
• Reynolds American (RAI) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Adtran (ADTN), PG&E (PCG) and Wisconsin Energy (WEC) to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BBT, CI, DG, DHI, HSY, NFLX, RAI, TOL, UNH, WAT, XOM ...

Analyst Calls: BBT, CI, DG, DHI, HSY, NFLX, RAI, TOL, UNH, WAT, XOM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Poor Hershey (HSY). At the time of this writing, the stock was off by 2.8%, coming in at a quote of $49.67. The market wasn't taken by the third-quarter report. Is Wall Street being fair with the shares?

Well, you know how the analyst game works. A forecast is made, and the trick is to beat it. Unfortunately, the company behind the Reese's peanut butter candies and the famous Hershey chocolate bar (of course) merely met expectations. When you do that, you're simply not guaranteed to get a big bid after the earnings release.

Continue reading Hershey Sells Off After Announcing Q3 Results

Hershey Sells Off After Announcing Q3 Results originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hershey to Close Original Factory

Hershey to Close Original Factory originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Let's take a brief look at a couple companies that reported quarterly earnings this week that couldn't be more different: one sells candy while the other sells telecommunication services. Both, however, pay dividends, although one is set at a much higher yield than the other.

We'll go with the confectioner first. Hershey (HSY) issued second-quarter results that I thought were appealing. According to the press release, sales increased more than 5%, and on an adjusted basis, net income jumped 19% to 51 cents per share. Analysts believed the business was capable of delivering only 46 cents per share. This is a nice follow-up to the first-quarter release.

Continue reading Two Quarterly Reports: Hershey and Verizon

Two Quarterly Reports: Hershey and Verizon originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 24 Jul 2010 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• BofA/Merrill upgraded Eastman Chemical (EMN) to buy from neutral and raised its target to $82 from $80. The analyst upgraded shares based on valuation and expectations for strong earnings from fibers and performance chemicals.
• Bernstein upgraded Hershey (HSY) to market perform from underperform based on strong near-term category growth.
• Janney Montgomery upgraded Actuant (ATU) to buy from neutral with a $25 price target following the company's Q3 results.
• Infinera (INFN) was upgraded to buy from hold at Stifel Nicolaus.
• CTC Media (CTCM) was upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Williams (WMB) was upgraded to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AAPL, ATU, BWLD, EMN, FMC, HSY, KR, MTB, SWY, WMB ...

Analyst Calls: AAPL, ATU, BWLD, EMN, FMC, HSY, KR, MTB, SWY, WMB ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Chocolate and confectionery products maker Hershey Co. (HSY), based in Hershey, Pa., has broken out from an eight-week base. The move carries the stock to a new two-year high; in our view, this is a conservative play, showing consistent and good institutional buying interest," says technical breakout specialist Leo Fasciocco.

The editor of Ticker Tape Digest explains, "HSY's 12-month performance chart shows the stock appreciating 42% versus a 12% gain for the S&P 500 index. That is a good performance for a stock with a low beta of 0.30.

Continue reading Hershey (HSY): A Sweet Technical Breakout

Hershey (HSY): A Sweet Technical Breakout originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) strong Q1 results beat earnings expectations, and yet shares sold off.
• American Express Co. (AXP) reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings, which lifted shares.
• Apple Inc. (AAPL) shares rose to a new all-time high after it said earnings surged 90% in its Q2.
• Coca-Cola Co. (KO) beat Q1 earnings estimates but weaker-than-expected revenue sent shares lower.
• eBay Inc. (EBAY) shares sold off after Q1 earnings were in line with expectations and guidance was weak.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: Amazon, Apple, Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs, Hershey, IBM ...

Earnings Highlights: Amazon, Apple, Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs, Hershey, IBM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 24 Apr 2010 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hershey (HSY) stock rallied after the company released first-quarter earnings Thursday. By the end of the session, the stock had climbed over 7% to close at $48.08. A new high was reached at one point: $48.23. As can be seen, the market is solidly behind the famous confectioner and its quarterly report.

The top line increased just under 14%. The bottom line, on a GAAP basis, came in at 64 cents per share, nearly 100% better than the 33 cents per share earned in the year-ago period. On an adjusted basis, net income growth was 68% because of some charges added back to that 33-cent profit stat. This was, nevertheless, a great performance: The analysts were only expecting somewhere around 47 cents per share.

Continue reading Hershey Delivers a Sweet First Quarter

Hershey Delivers a Sweet First Quarter originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Sonoco Products (SON) to buy from hold after the company reported Q1 results and raised guidance. The firm upped its target for shares to $38 from $32.
• Baird upgraded Western Digital (WDC) to outperform from neutral following the solid Q3 report and guidance. The firm raised its target to $50 from $48.
• Goldman upgraded Qwest (Q) to neutral from sell. Qwest is being acquired by CenturyLink (CTL).
• Hershey (HSY) was upgraded to neutral from underweight at JPMorgan.
• Principal Financial (PFG) was upgraded to neutral from sell at UBS.
• Monster Worldwide (MWW) was upgraded to market perform from underperform at Wells Fargo.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: WDC, Q, HSY, BWLD, NOK, COP, KFT, VZ ...

Analyst Calls: WDC, Q, HSY, BWLD, NOK, COP, KFT, VZ ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Not all companies in these love-struck industries are good buys. Here are 10 stocks to break up with this Valentine's Day.

• 1-800-Flowers (FLWS): A good gift, but a poorly run company that has posted a loss for three of the past four quarters.
• Hershey (HSY): Missing out on the Cadbury merger was not so sweet for Hershey.
• Cardiac Sciences (CSCX): It's hard to have a heart for a company that fails seven out of my eight fundamental screens.

Continue reading Ten Valentine's Day Stocks to Hate

Ten Valentine's Day Stocks to Hate originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 14 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• Aol Inc. (AOL) reported a better-than-expected Q4 profit and said its revenue also topped estimates.
• Burger King Holdings Inc. (BKC) higher Q2 earnings topped analysts' estimates but same-store sales fell.
• Clorox Co. (CLX) higher Q2 earnings beat expectations and it lifted its full-year earnings guidance.
• Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) Q4 earnings more than doubled and beat Wall Street expectations, but shares fell.
• Gap Inc. (GPS) shares jumped after it forecast earnings above analysts' expectations, boosted by January sales.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: Aol, Burger King, Comcast, Hershey, Kellogg, UPS ...

Earnings Highlights: Aol, Burger King, Comcast, Hershey, Kellogg, UPS ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Citigroup upgraded Freeport McMoRan (FCX) to buy from hold to reflect valuation, as well as its increased forecasts for copper and aluminum. The firm raised its price target on shares to $95 from $85.
• Citigroup also upgraded Alcoa (AA) to buy from hold and reiterated a buy rating on Cliffs Natural (CLF).
• William Blair upgraded WESCO International (WCC) to outperform from market perform. The upgrade reflects the firm's belief that WESCO's sales trends will become increasingly positive from easy comparisons over the next 12 months.
• RBC Capital upgraded Thomson Reuters (TRI) to top pick from outperform. The firm sees attractive returns over the next 12 to 18 months as the company's headwinds subside, and it raised its target price on shares to $43 from $41.
• Motorola (MOT) was upgraded to hold from sell at Societe Generale.
• American Express (AXP) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Schnitzer Steel (SCHN) was upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS.

Continue reading Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: AA, DE, DUK, FCX, HYS, MA, MOT, V ...

Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: AA, DE, DUK, FCX, HYS, MA, MOT, V ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Jefferies upgraded Citrix Systems (CTXS) to buy from hold and raised its target to $48 from $43, citing VMware's (VMW) strong Q4 report and survey results that indicate continued strength for Citrix.
• Citigroup upgraded Amylin Pharmaceuticals (AMLN) to buy from hold on confidence the company's LAR drug will be approved following the approval of Novo Nordisk's (NVO) Victoza. Citi raised its target price for Amylin shares to $27 from $4.
• Baird upgraded Texas Instruments (TXN) to outperform from neutral and raised its target to $30 from $28. The firm believes it is too early to take profits in Texas Instruments and notes that checks continue to indicate a continued recovery in end-demand.
• Lexmark (LXK) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Salix (SLXP) was upgraded to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• Plexus (PLXS) was lifted to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.

Continue reading Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: AMLN, CI, CTXS, HSY, KRA, TSCO, TXN ...

Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: AMLN, CI, CTXS, HSY, KRA, TSCO, TXN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Sweet Surrender: Cadbury Accepts New Kraft Offer

Sweet Surrender: Cadbury Accepts New Kraft Offer originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hershey May Be Looking to Pick Up Cadbury

Hershey May Be Looking to Pick Up Cadbury originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

IBM (IBM) closed at $130.57. IBM is expected to report Q4 EPS on Jan. 19. January option implied volatility is at 16, February is at 21, April is at 22; below its 26-week average of 24 according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

Cadbury PLC (CBY) closed at $50.81. The European Commission's has a Jan. 6 deadline for reviewing Kraft's (KFT) plan to buy CBY. Cadbury, the world's second largest confectioner, rejected Kraft's buyout bid in November. Hershey (HSY) and Italy's Ferrero have said they are considering rival offers for Cadbury. January call option implied volatility is at 26, puts at 29, March volatility is at 27; verses its 26-week average of 27, according to Track Data.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: IBM February Volatility Low at 21; Shares Near Record High originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 26 Dec 2009 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.