Hershey Has Sweet Quarter S'mores to Come

Reuters

Wednesday, January 28, 2004; 1:21 PM

link to article

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hershey Foods Corp. , the biggest U.S. chocolate maker, on Wednesday reported higher fourth-quarter earnings, helped by lower promotional costs and strong sales of new products.

The popular new S'mores bars and Swoops chips will be followed in April by a low-carbohydrate chocolate bar, according to Chief Executive Richard Lenny.

The Hershey, Pennsylvania, company reported quarterly net income of $145 million, or $1.10 per share, compared with $130.3 million, or 96 cents a share, a year earlier.

The two periods included pre-tax charges for rationalization and realignment initiatives, such as the sale of gum brands and streamlining supply chains.

Excluding these charges, fourth-quarter income was $152 million, or $1.16 a share, compared with $138 million a year ago, or $1.02 a share.

On that basis, the maker of Hershey's Kisses and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups beat analysts' average view of $1.14 a share, according to Reuters Research, a unit of Reuters Plc.

Hershey's net sales for the quarter amounted to $1.18 billion, up from $1.16 billion in the year-ago period.

The 2 percent increase was slightly below company and Wall Street expectations, a factor the company attributed to lower seasonal sales.

Hershey has stuck to its strategy of extending popular brands like Reese's and Kisses, eliminating less profitable items and package sizes, and pushing aggressively into convenience and club stores.

During the quarter, Hershey's introduced the new S'mores candy bar and rolled out Swoops, which are chocolate pieces shaped like potato chips.

Lenny said in a statement that he expects continued strong performance in 2004 as Hershey steps up it efforts to introduce more new products, including a sugar-free York peppermint patty.

By the end of the fiscal first quarter, the company plans to roll out a "Hershey's 1 Gram Sugar Carb," a low-carbohydrate chocolate bar that will come in three flavors.

The introduction of this new bar comes during a massive low-carb diet craze sweeping across the United States.

Hershey's stock climbed 60 cents on the New York Stock Exchange by midday after closing at $75.35 a day earlier.

Heshey makes a low quality chocolate that can't be qualified as anything else than junk food.

The key factor in determining the quality of chocolate is the percentage of cocoa butter it contains. The higher the percentage of cocoa butter the better it is and incidentally the less sugar it contains. Eventually the chocolate becomes too bitter to be enjoyed, although it's all a matter of acquired taste. 72% cocoa makes a delicious chocolate, 85% makes for rather intense chocolate but is still palatable.

IMO good REAL chocolate is something that can be enjoyed on a low-carb diet, albeit in maintenance. Although I did loose 15 lbs eating a square or two of dark chocolate every day. The very dark kind doesn't contain all that much sugar. However the taste is so intense that you will never mindlessly scarf down a whole bar while doing something else. A small square along with a cup of tea or coffee is quite enough to satisfy.

A word of warning. Another way that companies pass off inferior products to the consumer is by replacing some of the cocoa butter with hydrogenated fat.

So read your labels !

I savor those little tiny hersey bars with a cup of herb tea or coffee. For some reason, one seems plenty. Back in the old days I never could've stopped at one.

Try the dark chocolate Nancy. Bet that once you acquire the taste, you'll never go back

i don't like dark chocolate. It tastes too bitter to me. The only thing i've found i could eat with it has been the Russell Stovers mint patties. I think that is because the coating is fairly thin and the sweetness of the mint inside mixes with it.

Dark chocolate falls in the category of other items like wine and coffee. You really must acquire a taste for it.

Most people, when they are young, don't like the taste of wine unless it's very sweet. Eventually you graduate to liking dry white wine and then red wine.

It's the same for dark chocolate. You need to start with lower percentage of cocoa and work your way up. Also try changing brands as some brands are more bitter than other. My favorite brand is Lindt chocolate. It's very very smooth. Right now I am eating 85% chocolate. It's pretty good once you get used to it. And believe me, once square is plenty enough to satisfy

I'm not much of a candy-lover, but I've always had a small place in my heart for York peppermint patties.

Russell Stovers mint patties(sugar free) taste just like the Yorks and have very few net carbs.

I happened to have the box still hanging around from a sugar-free Hershey's assortment someone at work gave me for Christmas. Here are the ingredients:

Lactitol, chocolate: cocoa butter, peanuts, milkfat, polydextrose, cream, almonds, contains 2% or less of: cornstarch, peanut oil, soy lecithin, PGPR (Emulsifier), partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oils, natural and artificial flavor, sucralose and TBHQ (preservative).

Let the buyer beware!

I have always hated dark chocolate until recently when I found some of the sugar free chocolates I have been eating and really enjoying were dark.

I found the flavor to be richer and it didnt taste as bitter as I remember it to be.

the SF PB cups have hydrogenated oils in them but the SF plain bars and almond bars dont from what I remember.

Oh yeah, I adore dark chocolate. *drool* In fact, I think that's what I have.

Have you found some good sugar free dark chocolate?

I also get some of the really good cocoa from Williams Sonoma, stuff costs like 10-15 dollars for a tin of it. But it makes awesome hot cocoa.

The Montignac SF chocolate available here in Quebec is excellent. You can't really tell the difference from other high end chocolate.

I also tried the CAVALIER brand ..and it's not too bad. A little waxier tasting than Montignac, which is a sign that the quality isn't as high as it could be