# Asian Cocoa Processing Beats Estimates as Hershey Shares Gain 3.61%

By John Kim

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/business/33722
Published: 2026-10-17T04:26:28.000Z
Updated: 2026-10-17T04:26:28.000Z
Section: Business

> Asian processing rose 29% year-on-year to its highest quarterly level since 2011. European grindings also increased 3.2% year-on-year, the region’s first quarterly rise on that basis since 2024.

Cocoa processing in Asia and Europe topped estimates for the third quarter, while Hershey shares advanced 3.61% over five days. The stronger activity followed lower cocoa costs, but chocolate demand has yet to show a sustained recovery.

Asian processing rose 29% from a year earlier, reaching its highest quarterly level since 2011. European grindings increased 3.2% year-on-year, the region’s first quarterly year-on-year increase since 2024.

New York cocoa futures gained 0.5% to about $5,762 a ton. That was roughly 157% above this year’s low of $2,243, but more than 50% below levels near $12,000 during the shortage in late 2024.

Lower bean costs have improved chocolate makers’ margins and encouraged processing. During the 2024 price spike, makers changed recipes as consumers pushed back against more expensive candy. The latest processing gains partly reflect comparisons with earlier declines; stronger processing has not yet translated into a sustained recovery in chocolate demand.

Steve Powers, a Deutsche Bank consumer staples analyst, wrote, “September consumption and share trends were softer than expected, raising the importance of October/Halloween performance in assessing both near-term holiday prospects and the credibility of HSY’s expected volume/share improvement into FY27.”