Hershey Q1 2026: Profit surges 94% as cocoa costs ease, pricing lifts sales 11%

Filed April 30, 2026 · Period ending March 29, 2026 · Compared to 10-Q May 1, 2025 · ~2 min read

Key Changes

• high

  Net sales rose 10.6% to $3.1B on 12% pricing in confectionery; operating profit jumped 73.5% to $641M as gross margin expanded 570 bps to 39.4%, driven by easing cocoa costs and supply chain productivity gains.

  MD&A: Financial Results verify on EDGAR →
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  Cocoa commodity volatility improved in Q1 2026 after elevated prices in prior year; cost of sales rose only 1.1% vs 18.0% in Q1 2025, with $250M of supply chain savings offsetting $270M of commodity and tariff headwinds.

  MD&A: Cost of Sales verify on EDGAR →
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  U.S. retail takeaway swung from -6.7% decline to +9.3% growth; CMG takeaway improved from -9.0% to +8.1%, though market share declined. Salty snacks maintained strong +9.8% growth with share gains.

  MD&A: U.S. Marketplace verify on EDGAR →