Hershey is a leading confectionery manufacturer in the US (around a $25 billion market), controlling around 36% of the domestic chocolate space (per Euromonitor). Beyond its namesake label, the firm's mix has expanded over the last 85 years and now consists of 100 brands, including Reese's, Kit Kat, Kisses, and Ice Breakers. Hershey's products are sold in about 80 countries, albeit with just a high-single-digit percentage of sales coming from markets outside the US, including Brazil, India, and Mexico. The firm has sought inorganic opportunities to extend its reach beyond its core confection business, adding Amplify Snack Brands and its Skinny Pop ready-to-eat popcorn to its mix, Pirate Brands, and Dot's Pretzels over the past few years.

Hershey Co. produces and markets chocolate and other confections, as well as chocolate-related grocery products. Its major brands include Hershey's, Jolly Rancher, Kit Kat, Heath, Twizzlers, Reese's, Ice Breakers and SkinnyPop. Hershey has expanded into new categories and markets in recent years with the acquisitions of Brookside, Ripple Brand Collective, and Amplify Snack Brands. The company's largest shareholder is the Hershey Trust Company, which owns approximately 22% of the shares outstanding. The company has approximately 18,650 employees. HSY shares are a component of the S&P 500.

On Tuesday, stocks passed their first test of the week with flying colors after a better-than-expected PPI print. The S&P 500 (SPX) popped 1.7%, the Nasdaq ripped higher by 2.4%, and the Nasdaq 100 jumped 2.5%. The indices are close to turning a number of short- to -intermediate-term technical indicators back to bullish, and quickly. It is now clear that the big downside reversal and weak close on August 7 was one of those nasty fake-out days that are so often seen at intermediate-term bottoms and tops. Technicians love these fake-out days and love even more that the reversal from recent panic lows is taking the shape of a 'V,' a favorite technical bottom (NOT!). From August 7 through August 13, the SPX jumped 4.5%, the biggest four-day gain since early November 2023, when the market was emerging from the July-to-October pullback. Since August 6, the index has seen daily gains of 1%, 2.3%, and 1.7%, which is pretty impressive. The bear flags that we thought might be developing on the major indices were blown up on Tuesday although we still might be working on a bearish wedge. But for that to happen, stocks would need to turn down very quickly. The SPX has climbed back above its 21-day exponential moving average (EMA) after losing it on August 1, and the five-day/13-day EMA crossover is very close to turning back to bullish as the index approached both a 61.8% retrace and the 50-day (which are in the 5,452 to 5,460 region). The four-day pop for the Nasdaq 100 is 6.4%, the best such run since November 2022 when the ETF (QQQ) was bottoming. The five-/13-day EMA cross is close to turning bullish, the momentum downtrend has been busted, and a 50% take-back at 463.50 is very near.

Hershey is a leading confectionery manufacturer in the US (around a $25 billion market), controlling around 36% of the domestic chocolate space (per Euromonitor). Beyond its namesake label, the firm's mix has expanded over the last 85 years and now consists of 100 brands, including Reese's, Kit Kat, Kisses, and Ice Breakers. Hershey's products are sold in about 80 countries, albeit with just a high-single-digit percentage of sales coming from markets outside the US, including Brazil, India, and Mexico. The firm has sought inorganic opportunities to extend its reach beyond its core confection business, adding Amplify Snack Brands and its Skinny Pop ready-to-eat popcorn to its mix, Pirate Brands, and Dot's Pretzels over the past few years.