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☆ As cocoa prices soar this Easter, chocolatiers consider alternatives
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( John Towfighi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Cocoa prices are surging so high, the Easter Bunny might want to hoard its chocolate. Poor climate and crop diseases in West Africa – home to 70% of global cocoa production – have tightened supply and caused prices to skyrocket. As prices rise, some chocolatiers are exploring cost-cutting alternatives, like diversifying their products to depend less on cocoa. Yet mining often destroys farms and the possibility of a livelihood in cocoa production, Issaka said. “Given the persistently high cocoa prices, it may be necessary for us to make responsible adjustments to pricing in the future,” the spokesperson wrote in an email.

Persons: Hershey’s, Shaquille O’Neal, Michele Buck, Billy Roberts, Roberts, ” Roberts, Issaka, Will Kletter, Kletter, “, Peng Xu, Christopher Taylor, Li, Taylor, ”, “ We’re, “ It’s, ” Taylor Organizations: CNN, Cadbury, NCA, “ Brands, Industries, International Cocoa Organization, Rabobank, US, ”, Euromonitor Locations: West Africa, North Region, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Silicon, Washington ,, Manhattan

☆ Cocoa prices are soaring to record levels. What it means for consumers and why 'the worst is still yet to come'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A farmers holds cocoa beans while he is drying them at a village in Sinfra, Ivory Coast, on April 29, 2023. Consumers could start to see the effect of surging cocoa prices as the world faces the worst supply deficit in decades, with farmers in West Africa struggling against bad weather, disease and failing trees. The world is facing the largest cocoa supply deficit in more than 60 years and consumers could start to see the effect at the end of this year or early 2025, Joules said. The International Cocoa Organization has forecast a supply deficit of 374,000 tons for the 2023-24 season, a 405% increase from a deficit of 74,000 tons in the previous season. Cocoa prices will likely remain elevated for some time because there are no easy fixes to the systemic issues facing the market, he said.

Persons: Michele Buck, Paul Organizations: Hershey, CNBC, National Confectioners Association, Rabobank, International Cocoa Organization Locations: Sinfra, Ivory Coast, West Africa, Cocoa

☆ Cocoa prices just hit a record high. Here's what's driving the gains and what it means for chocolate makers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

If you think chocolate prices this Valentine's Day were more expensive than usual, it's not you. Year to date, futures contracts are up nearly 27%, with cocoa prices rising in six of the past seven weeks. Here's a breakdown of what's driving cocoa prices higher and how it impacts the investment case around two major chocolate stocks. Doshi thinks cocoa prices could sell off about 20%, taking them to around $4,500 to $4,800 per ton. In an interview with CNBC last week, he underscored the rising cocoa price outlook as the key driver for his lower rating.

Persons: Humza Hussain, El, Aakash Doshi, Doshi, Bernstein, Bruno Monteyne, … There's, Mondelez, Alexia Howard, Hershey, Michele Buck, Bernstein's Howard, Howard, I'd, Bryan Spillane, Morgan Stanley, Pamela Kaufman, Bank of America's Spillane Organizations: Asset Management, CNBC, Hershey, Citi, 2H, Street, Bank of America, Bank of, Cadbury Locations: Mondelez, El Niño, Ghana, Ivory, Nigeria, Europe

☆ The Fed can still break markets. Here’s how
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Those gains came even as Federal Reserve officials attempted to reduce investors’ lofty expectations for a plethora of interest rate cuts this year. It is now signaling that interest rates could come this year but not until spring or summer. That means they think the Fed is keeping interest rates too high and could potentially slow down economic growth too much and risk a recession. That makes the NFL and the Super Bowl all the more valuable to advertisers trying to reach a mass market. Li-Lac Chocolates, which calls itself the oldest chocolate shop in Manhattan, told CNN that their raw chocolate prices are up 13% this February compared to a year ago.

Persons: Torsten Slok, Jerome Powell, Raphael Bostic, Olivier Darcy, Sunday’s, CNN’s John Towfighi, ”, Michele Buck Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Big Tech, Federal Reserve, Investors, Nasdaq, Federal, Apollo Global Management, National Association for Business, Atlanta Fed, CNN, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, CBS, Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, NFL, Allegiant, NFC, Fox, AFC, Super Bowl, Companies, Hershey Co Locations: New York, There’s, Las Vegas, West Africa, North America, Manhattan

☆ With a low cocoa supply, this Valentine’s Day chocolate prices are up
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( John Towfighi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Rising cocoa prices aren’t the only concern for customers this Valentine's Day. Last Thursday, Hershey Co. said it would cut 5% of its workforce after historic cocoa prices and inflation-weary consumers dampened fourth quarter earnings. “And it looks like it’s not necessarily going to subside anytime soon.”The Supreme Valentine’s Day SweetRoughly 92% of Americans say they plan to share chocolate and candy for Valentine’s Day this year, according to the National Confectioners Association. In 2023, Valentine’s Day chocolate and candy sales exceeded $4 billion, the NCA says. Issaka said that while high demand and low supply raise prices, cocoa farmers are getting squeezed.

Persons: ”, Michele Buck, Billy Roberts, ” Roberts, Lindsey Nicholson, Marnie Ives, Ives, ” Ives, “ It’s, Karl Schneider, Roberts’s, Issifu, Issaka, ” Issaka, “ I’m, Cote, Will Kletter, Sabi Ibarra Guerrero, Uwe Gneiting, Gneiting, Joke Aerts, Aerts, ” Aerts, Sia Kambou, Price, Tony’s, “, they’ve, CNN’s Eva Rothenberg Organizations: CNN, Hershey Co, National Confectioners Association, NCA, Cocoa, Oxfam America, Getty, Fairtrade, Cote d’Ivoire, “ Locations: West Africa, North America, Manhattan, Queens , New York, Neck, NY, Bloomfield , NJ, Ghana, North Region, Cote d’Ivoire, Silicon, Africa, Accra, Cote, Hermankono, AFP

Hershey is cautioning on its 2024 profit growth as the company contends with rising cocoa costs that are leading to higher prices for chocolate. Cocoa futures prices have doubled over the past year and hit an all-time high of $5,874 per metric ton on Friday. Bad weather in West Africa is being blamed for damaging crop yields, which is pushing cocoa prices higher. But with inflation concerns still top of mind, many shoppers are pulling back on their spending and eyeing rising food prices cautiously. Hershey Co. anticipates its full-year earnings per share being relatively flat, partly due to higher cocoa and sugar costs.

Persons: Hershey, ”, Thomas Palmer, Michele Buck, ” Buck, Steven Voskuil Organizations: Citi, Hershey, Hershey Co Locations: West Africa

☆ Hershey CEO: We are predicting 2 to 3% sales growth this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHershey CEO: We are predicting 2 to 3% sales growth this yearHershey CEO Michele Buck joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss Buck's insight into the consumer, the dynamic between higher prices and volume sacrifices, and snacking trends in North America.

Persons: Hershey, Michele Buck Organizations: Hershey Locations: North America

☆ Corporate America weighs business impact of new weight-loss drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Walmart (WMT.N) expects revenues from its health and wellness products to increase in the second half of the year, mainly due to the popularity of weight-loss drugs. PepsiCo (PEP.O) Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston has said the company is "not seeing any impact" yet from the popularity of weight-loss drugs. Coca-Cola (KO.N) CEO James Quincey said the company was monitoring what impact, if any weight-loss drugs will have. Abbott CEO Robert Ford has said diabetes patients could end up using glucose monitors with the weight-loss drugs in the long term. DRUG DISTRIBUTORSCencora (COR.N), formerly called AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health (CAH.N) and McKesson (MCK.N) have flagged potential boost to revenues this year owing to the growing demand for weight-loss drugs.

Persons: Victoria Klesty, Eli Lilly's, Eli Lilly's Zepbound, Hugh Johnston, James Quincey, Michele Buck, Dr Pepper, Robert Gamgort, Johnson, Joseph Wolk, Robert Ford, Michael Farrell, Bhanvi Satija, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Mrigank Dhaniwala, Arun Koyyur Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Walmart, PepsiCo, J, Abbott Laboratories, Insulet Corp, Boston Scientific, Cardinal Health, Thomson Locations: Oslo, Norway, Victoria, U.S, GLP, Bengaluru

☆ Native American populations are ‘invisible’ to banks. That needs to change
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Before the Bell: What do investors need to know about investing in Native American and Alaskan Native communities? Dawson Her Many Horses: Native American and Alaskan Native communities are more than an ethnic group or racial category. The National League Gaming Commission, which is the regulator for Native American casinos, publishes a yearly report on gross gaming revenues for casinos. When you look at some of the research that gets done, Native American and Alaskan Native households are almost always the most underbanked. People like to focus on what I call the ‘poverty porn’ aspects of Native American and Alaskan Native communities.

Persons: Dawson, “, “ I’ve, ”, Bell, Banks, Wells, That’s, we’ve, Wells Fargo, they’re, Danielle Wiener, Bronner, Kit Kat, ” Hershey, Michele Buck, It’s, Dan Sadler, Covid shutdowns Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, CNN, Wells, Rosebud Sioux, The National League Gaming Commission, Bank of America, Federal, American Finance, Silicon Valley Bank, Hershey, Consumers, Dow, Federal Reserve, Apple Locations: New York, Rosebud, South Dakota, Wells Fargo, United States, Federal Government, Silicon, New York City, Alaska, Oklahoma, confections

For the second year in a row, U.S. shoppers are seeing double-digit inflation in the candy aisle. That’s on top of a 14% increase in candy and gum prices in October 2022. “The price of candy has gotten to be outrageous,” said Jessica Weathers, a small business owner in Shiloh, Illinois. Meanwhile, global sugar prices are at 12-year highs, Goughary said. Buck said Hershey is trying to meet consumers’ needs with offerings in value stores and pack sizes at various price points.

Persons: ”, Jessica Weathers, ” Weathers, Dan Sadler, Kelly Goughary, Goughary, —, Michele Buck, Buck, Hershey Organizations: Gro Intelligence, Aldi, Mars Inc, Hershey Co Locations: Shiloh , Illinois, West Africa, El, Ivory, India, Brazil

☆ For the second Halloween in a row, U.S. candy inflation hits double digits
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

For the second year in a row, U.S. shoppers are seeing double-digit inflation in the candy aisle. That's on top of a 14% increase in candy and gum prices in October 2022. "The price of candy has gotten to be outrageous," said Jessica Weathers, a small business owner in Shiloh, Illinois. Weathers said she usually buys plenty of candy for trick-or-treaters and events at school and church. Meanwhile, global sugar prices are at 12-year highs, Goughary said.

Persons: Jessica Weathers, Weathers, Dan Sadler, Kelly Goughary, Goughary, —, Michele Buck, Buck, Hershey Organizations: Gro Intelligence, Aldi, Hershey Locations: Shiloh , Illinois, West Africa, El, Ivory, India, Brazil

☆ Hershey tops quarterly estimates boosted by higher candy prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Hershey's chocolates are pictured for sale on a store shelf in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S. July 19, 2017. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 26 (Reuters) - Hershey (HSY.N) beat Wall Street expectations for quarterly sales and profit on Thursday, riding on benefits from higher prices of its chocolates and candies at a time when demand has slowed. Overall organic prices rose by 9.8% in the third quarter, while organic volumes increased by only 0.9%. Hershey's net sales rose to $3.03 billion in the quarter ended Oct. 1 from $2.73 billion a year earlier. The company also reaffirmed its annual profit forecast of $9.46 to $9.54 per share and sales expectations for an 8% rise.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Hershey, Michele Buck, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Milla Nissi Organizations: REUTERS, Hershey, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, Russia, Ukraine, Bengaluru

☆ Halloween is candy's biggest holiday. Here's how Snickers maker Mars prepares for trick-or-treaters
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

For 11 months of the year, Tim LeBel is Mars Wrigley's president of sales. The National Retail Federation predicts consumers will spend $3.6 billion on Halloween candy this year, up from $3.1 billion last year, even as many shoppers pull back spending elsewhere. Unlike Hershey, family-owned Mars doesn't report its financial results, but disclosed nearly $45 billion in annual revenue in 2021. With the stakes so high for Halloween, Mars starts planning for the holiday two years in advance. "A lot of those things take two years to develop and execute to bring to market," LeBel told CNBC.

Persons: Tim LeBel, Mars, Ferrero, Mondelez, …, Hershey, Michele Buck, LeBel Organizations: Mars, Hershey, National Retail Federation, CNBC

REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsChocolate makers are banking on the traditional resilience of their product to price increases. The data showed Hershey's sales volumes increasingly declined during the period as the company hiked prices. "We are seeing consumers starting to react more than before, I'd be very cautious with price increases," said Dan Sadler, a candy expert at U.S.-based market researcher IRI. Barry Callebaut (BARN.S), the world's biggest chocolate maker supplying most major brands including Nestle (NESN.S), doesn't expect any growth in sales volumes this year. Pennsylvania-based Hershey, is hoping that as it eases off the rate of price hikes, its sales volumes will reverse their current downtrend.

Persons: Nielsen, Dirk Van de, Luca Zaramella, Patrick Folan, Mike Blake, Mondelez, Hershey, Zaramella, Bernstein, I'd, Dan Sadler, Barry Callebaut, Hershey's, Michele Buck, Matt Scuffham, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Nielsen, Hershey, Reuters, Consumers, Cadbury, Barclays, REUTERS, IRI, Nestle, Rabobank, El, Kailyn, Thomson Locations: Europe, United States, North America, Encinitas , California, U.S, Pennsylvania, El Nino, West Africa, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kailyn Rhone, New York

"The increase in sugar and cocoa specifically is material," Mondelez CFO Luca Zaramella said in July. The data showed Hershey's sales volumes increasingly declined during the period as the company hiked prices. Barry Callebaut (BARN.S), the world's biggest chocolate maker supplying most major brands including Nestle (NESN.S), doesn't expect any growth in sales volumes this year. In the U.S., private label sales volumes grew nearly 9% in the year to mid-June despite near double-digit price rises, IRI data shows. Pennsylvania-based Hershey, is hoping that as it eases off the rate of price hikes, its sales volumes will reverse their current downtrend.

Persons: Mike Blake, Dirk Van de, Luca Zaramella, Patrick Folan, Mondelez, Hershey, Zaramella, Bernstein, I'd, Dan Sadler, Barry Callebaut, Hershey's, Michele Buck, Matt Scuffham, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: REUTERS, Hershey, Reuters, Consumers, Nielsen, Cadbury, Barclays, IRI, Nestle, Rabobank, El, Kailyn, Thomson Locations: Encinitas , California, Europe, North America, U.S, Pennsylvania, El Nino, West Africa, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kailyn Rhone, New York

☆ Hershey launches vegan Reese’s
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Vegan Reese’s are happening. Hershey, which makes Reese’s along with Hershey bars, Kisses and other chocolates and candies, announced two new dairy-free products on Tuesday: Reese’s plant-based peanut butter cups, and a vegan chocolate Hershey bar with almonds and sea salt, each made with oats instead of dairy and designed to taste like milk chocolate. The new Reese’s variety will be available nationally this month, and the new Hershey bar is arriving in April. The company is the latest to introduce a vegan chocolate in hopes that it will attract more customers. Mondelez (MDLZ) acquired Hu, a company which makes vegan chocolate, that year, as well.

☆ Mike Sievert of T-Mobile is the CNN Business CEO of the Year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

T-Mobile’s solid performance on Wall Street was one big reason why CEO Mike Sievert is the CNN Business pick for CEO of the Year. CNN Business spoke to Sievert about how T-Mobile has continued to perform well in a super competitive business. T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert talks to employees at a 2022 company event. That has led to higher expenses, but Sievert said T-Mobile is less worried about inflation than other consumer firms. Prepared for more competitionSievert, who has been with T-Mobile since 2012, took over as CEO in 2020 from long-time CEO John Legere.

☆ Consumers are looking to chocolate, Oreos, and Twinkies to 'not feel terrible all the time' — Hershey, Hostess, and Mondelez are cashing in
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Consumers are buying more chocolate and cookies as recession fears hang over the economy. But they are still buying smaller pleasures, including sweet treats like cookies and chocolate. Now, many of the same companies are seeing sales of chocolate, cookies, and other sweet snacks rise. "Our products remain an affordable treat for families and consumers," Michele Buck, the CEO of Hershey, told analysts on a call. While consumers cut back spending in many areas, such as travel, sales of lipstick actually grew.

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