Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.31 EPS

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $2.35 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.04 by $0.31, FiscalAI reports. Hershey had a return on equity of 28.98% and a net margin of 9.12%.The company had revenue of $3.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.03 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.09 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year.

Here are the key takeaways from Hershey’s conference call:

• Management says competition remains “highly rational,” Easter sell-through exceeded expectations and spring resets leave the company in a net positive position, supporting H2 momentum from tentpoles, retail resets and planned premium/Hershey innovation.
• The company expects headline organic sales to be slightly down in Q2 due to shipment timing (Easter pull-forward and some international pull-forward), so near-term growth will dip despite steady consumption and strong sell-through.
• Hershey expects a clear margin inflection — roughly 300 basis points improvement in gross margin in Q2 versus last year and greater than 500 basis points in the back half of the year.
• Macro risks (SNAP waivers, GLP-1 adoption, and higher gas/oil costs) are being actively monitored and were described as mild so far and already modeled into guidance, but could evolve and affect results.
• Salty snacks remain a growth driver (core salty brands up ~10%); management expects operating income to grow double digits for the year despite discreet logistics/withdrawal costs and LesserEvil amortization.

Hershey Trading Down 1.8%

HSY stock traded down $3.42 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $182.32. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,794,054 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,891,227. Hershey has a 52 week low of $150.04 and a 52 week high of $239.48. The stock has a market cap of $36.96 billion, a PE ratio of 42.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $210.21 and its 200-day simple moving average is $196.68.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $1.452 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 133.87%.

Hershey News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results topped estimates: Hershey reported stronger-than-expected revenue and adjusted EPS, driven by pricing and cost pass-through, which supports near-term top-line durability. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: GLP?1 tailwind for mints/gum: Management said rising use of GLP?1 weight?loss drugs is boosting demand for mints and gum (Ice Breakers), a growing, higher?margin category offsetting some snack weakness. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase/confirmation: Hershey declared its quarterly dividend ($1.452/share), supporting income investors and signaling confidence in cash flow. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings-call color — innovation and seasonal help: Management cited strong Easter sales and innovation/premiumization gains (luxury chocolate initiatives), which support medium?term brand momentum but are not immediate growth guarantees. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure from higher input and freight costs: Several coverage pieces and the company commentary highlight rising costs that compressed margins despite the beat — a key reason investors are less enthused. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Softer guidance focus: Although Hershey reaffirmed 2026 guidance, investors fixated on slightly softer near?term wording and demand uncertainty, which trimmed sentiment after the print. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst reactions trimmed optimism: Multiple firms kept neutral/hold stances or lowered price targets (Barclays, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, BTIG maintained/adjusted coverage), reflecting concerns about near?term demand elasticity and a premium valuation — adding selling pressure. Read More. Read More. Read More.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HSY has been the subject of a number of research reports. Mizuho lifted their target price on Hershey from $165.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, February 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $267.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of Hershey from $230.00 to $215.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $222.06.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In other Hershey news, insider Rohit Grover sold 3,500 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total value of $791,245.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 34,568 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,814,787.76. This trade represents a 9.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction on Monday, April 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.10, for a total transaction of $291,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 57,695 shares in the company, valued at $11,198,599.50. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 10,000 shares of company stock valued at $2,189,090 in the last 90 days. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Hershey

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of HSY. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in Hershey by 6.5% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,310 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,618,000 after purchasing an additional 937 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Hershey by 20.2% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 697 shares of the company’s stock worth $116,000 after buying an additional 117 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the second quarter worth $267,000. Bank of Nova Scotia grew its holdings in Hershey by 4.5% in the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 17,927 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,975,000 after purchasing an additional 769 shares during the period. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its holdings in Hershey by 5.4% in the second quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 22,247 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,692,000 after purchasing an additional 1,149 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

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.