Hershey Co posted higher quarterly profit, helped by price increases and market share gains.

The maker of Hershey's Kisses and Reese's peanut butter cups said first-quarter profit was $75.9 million, or 33 cents a share, compared with $63.2 million, or 28 cents a share, a year earlier.

Excluding one-time items, earnings were 38 cents a share, up from 37 cents a year earlier.

Hershey has been spending more on advertising in recent months to gain market share against rivals like Mars Inc, which bought Wm Wrigley Jr Co in October to become the world's largest confectionary company.

(Reporting by Brad Dorfman; Editing by Derek Caney)