Dividends: How Sweet It Is

The folks at Hershey Foods Corp. are feeling very happy these days. Reese's Pieces, a steady but unspectacular-selling brand of candy, has blossomed into an unexpected summer hit. Sales of the peanut butter-flavored candy shot up 65% in June after the release of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, which is filling movie theaters at a record clip. In the film, E.T., an endearing space creature, is lured out of hiding by a boy who scatters pieces of the candy in his path.

This movie tie-in all but fell into the lap of Hershey, which sold some $35 million worth of Reese's Pieces last year....

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