Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Price Target Raised to $220.00

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its price target boosted by Wells Fargo & Company from $182.00 to $220.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price target indicates a potential downside of 4.64% from the company’s current price.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on HSY. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $185.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Tuesday. DA Davidson raised their target price on Hershey from $185.00 to $207.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday. Evercore ISI reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday. Zacks Research upgraded Hershey from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $267.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $213.11.

Hershey Stock Performance

NYSE:HSY traded up $6.33 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $230.71. 948,431 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,015,168. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 1.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.78 billion, a PE ratio of 34.47 and a beta of 0.18. Hershey has a one year low of $150.04 and a one year high of $234.43. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $188.83 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $185.53.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.31. The business had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.97 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 32.08% and a net margin of 11.84%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.69 EPS. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Hershey will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Kirk Tanner purchased 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The shares were bought at an average price of $185.46 per share, for a total transaction of $370,920.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 47,860 shares in the company, valued at $8,876,115.60. This trade represents a 4.36% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Stacy Taffet purchased 200 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The shares were bought at an average cost of $186.19 per share, for a total transaction of $37,238.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,371 shares in the company, valued at $1,744,786.49. This represents a 2.18% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 6,000 shares of company stock worth $1,119,450. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 1,537.5% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 131 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares during the period. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the third quarter worth $26,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Hershey in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH acquired a new position in Hershey in the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Hershey

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and raised FY‑2026 outlook — Hershey reported $1.71 EPS and $3.09B revenue (both above estimates) and set FY‑2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $8.20–8.52 with revenue guidance above consensus, supporting a stronger growth/earnings trajectory. Hershey Reports Q4 and Full-Year Results (Press Release)
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase signals management confidence — Board declared a $1.452 quarterly dividend (6% raise), with an upcoming ex‑dividend date that likely attracted income-focused buying. Hershey Declares Quarterly Dividends
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts bump targets — Evercore raised its price target to $250 (from $215) and other firms raised targets after the print, providing further tactical support for the rally. Evercore Raises Hershey Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Some analysts remain on the sidelines — Several firms reiterated Hold/Neutral ratings even as they nudged targets higher, reflecting mixed views on demand vs. cost recovery. TipRanks: Hold Ratings and Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Commodity/tariff pressure still a headwind — Management flagged higher cocoa costs and tariffs that compressed margins in Q4; Cocoa volatility remains a key downside risk to margin recovery. Reuters: Hershey Sees Strong 2026 Even as Cocoa Costs Weigh
• Negative Sentiment: Input-costs: cocoa futures jumped after the outlook — Cocoa prices settled sharply higher, which could increase raw‑material costs and pressure margins if prices persist. Cocoa Prices Settle Sharply Higher

Hershey Company Profile

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is a leading North American chocolatier and snack manufacturer headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The company develops, produces and markets a wide range of confectionery and snack products for retail, foodservice and international customers. Hershey’s business spans manufacturing, branded product marketing, packaging and distribution across grocery, convenience, mass merchant and e-commerce channels.

Hershey’s product portfolio centers on chocolate and sugar confectionery, including core brands such as Hershey’s, Reese’s, Hershey’s Kisses and Twizzlers, alongside non-chocolate snacks and confectionery brands.