Subject: Re: HSY getting hammered
carolsharp: Let's see........ We must have different definitions of great.

In terms of stock market returns (certainly not a metric of value), it's far from a loser.

One could characterize Nestle's returns as follows--

Hugely outperformed the average S&P 500 firms 2006-2009. Very much in fashion!
Did about as well as the average S&P 500 firm 2009-2013.
A modest relative slide 2013-2017, say a one time slide of 15% or so, undoing around half the relative-to-S&P boost from 2006-2009.
Roughly tracking the average S&P 500 firm 2017 till the middle of last year.
Then a pretty sudden drop of about 22% leading to the recent "cheaper than usual" situation.

Even at the current seemingly depressed price level (temporarily??), it has nicely outperformed the average S&P 500 firm since any time in the 2003-2006 stretch.
I don't have data handy for any time before that.

Performance notes are based on total return including dividends.

Jim