Dive Brief:
- The Hershey Co. reported a 5.8% leap in sales in its most recent quarter to $1.96 billion from $1.85 billion a year earlier.
- North American sales, which rose faster than expected as retailers ordered for Halloween, climbed 4.2%.
- The nation's largest chocolate company warned of trouble ahead, and lowered its expected sales for the year to 4.75%, below an earlier target of 5-7% growth.
Dive Insight:
Hershey blamed its lower forecast on lagging sales in international markets, though the chocolate company also said it expects China, where it bought a controlling stake in confectioner Shanghai Golden Monkey late last year, to become its second-largest market by the end of 2015.