The Hershey Company Financials

Hershey generated about $12.3 billion in revenue over the trailing twelve months. Revenue has grown at roughly 7.5% a year over the past five years. Revenue is the top line, before any costs; what matters for value is how much of it survives to free cash flow. The full income statement, balance sheet and cash-flow statement are on this tab.

Yes, Hershey reported about $1.8 billion in net income over the trailing twelve months, a net profit margin of roughly 14.6%. Net income is the bottom line after all costs, interest and taxes. Compare it to free cash flow on this tab, since reported profit and actual cash generated can diverge.

Hershey runs a gross margin of about 41.9%, an operating margin of about 20.8%, a net margin of about 14.6%. Margins show how much of each sales dollar a company keeps at each stage. Stable or rising margins usually signal pricing power and cost discipline; falling margins are worth investigating. See the multi-year trend on this tab.

Hershey's revenue has compounded at roughly 7.5% a year over the past five years. Growth only creates value when it is profitable and cash-generative, so read this rate alongside HSY's margins and free cash flow. This is analysis from SEC filings, not investment advice.