The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) will unveil its latest earnings on Wednesday, February 1, 2012. The average estimate of analysts is for profit of 70 cents per share, a rise of 14.8% from the company’s actual earnings for the same quarter a year ago. The average estimate is the same as three months ago. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate was unchanged. It also has not changed during the last month. For the year, analysts are projecting net income of $2.82 per share, a rise of 10.6% from last year.

The company met estimates last quarter after beating the forecasts in the prior two. In the third quarter, the company reported profit of 84 cents per share versus a mean estimate of net income of 84 cents per share. In the second quarter, the company beat estimates by one cent. On average, analysts predict $1.56 billion in revenue this quarter, a rise of 5.4% from the year ago quarter. Analysts are forecasting total revenue of $6.06 billion for the year, a rise of 6.9% from last year’s revenue of $5.67 billion.

Competitors to Watch: Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE:KFT), Snyder S Lance Inc (NASDAQ:LNCE), John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBSS), Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. (NYSE:TR), Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. (NASDAQ:RMCF), Diamond Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:DMND), Ralcorp Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:RAH), The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAIN), General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS), and The J.M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM).

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAIN) will unveil its latest earnings on Wednesday, February 1, 2012. The average estimate of analysts is for net income of 49 cents per share, a rise of 25.6% from the company’s actual earnings for the same quarter a year ago. The average estimate is the same as three months ago. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate was unchanged. It also has not changed during the last month. Analysts are projecting profit to rise by 25.9% versus last year to $1.70.

The company has beaten estimates the last four quarters and is coming off a quarter where it topped forecasts by one cent, reporting profit of 29 cents per share against a mean estimate of net income of 28 cents per share. On average, analysts predict $387.1 million in revenue this quarter, a rise of 32.6% from the year ago quarter. Analysts are forecasting total revenue of $1.47 billion for the year, a rise of 30.1% from last year’s revenue of $1.13 billion.

Competitors to Watch: General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS), Campbell Soup Company (NYSE:CPB), Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE:KFT), The J.M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM), TreeHouse Foods Inc. (NYSE:THS), H.J. Heinz Company (NYSE:HNZ) and PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP).

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