Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided EPS guidance of 8.200-8.520 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 7.080. The company issued revenue guidance of $12.2 billion-$12.3 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $12.0 billion.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on HSY. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research raised Hershey from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. UBS Group raised their price target on Hershey from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Hershey from $187.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, DA Davidson upped their target price on shares of Hershey from $185.00 to $207.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and fifteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Hershey has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $197.56.

Hershey Trading Up 8.8%

HSY traded up $18.21 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $224.00. 5,699,558 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,062,678. The stock has a market capitalization of $45.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.48 and a beta of 0.18. Hershey has a one year low of $150.04 and a one year high of $225.55. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $188.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $185.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 1.36.

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

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In other news, insider Stacy Taffet purchased 200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was bought at an average price of $186.19 per share, with a total value of $37,238.00. Following the acquisition, the insider directly owned 9,371 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,744,786.49. This represents a 2.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Kirk Tanner acquired 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $185.46 per share, for a total transaction of $370,920.00. Following the purchase, 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 position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 6,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,119,450 over the last three months. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Hershey

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and strong 2026 outlook — Hershey reported EPS of $1.71 vs. ~$1.40 expected and revenue above estimates; management set FY?2026 EPS guidance of $8.20–$8.52 and revenue around $12.2–12.3B, well above street expectations, giving investors conviction in a recovery in earnings. Reuters: Hershey sees strong 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase / cash return — the board declared quarterly dividends ($1.452 common / $1.320 Class B), reflecting management confidence and boosting yield-driven demand for the stock. PR Newswire: Hershey Declares Quarterly Dividends
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst moves support momentum — several shops raised price targets (Deutsche Bank lifted its target to $188; DA Davidson and others increased targets), signaling growing analyst comfort with the turnaround while some maintain neutral ratings ahead of full results digestion. InsiderMonkey: Deutsche Bank Lifts Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Commodity-market ripple effects — cocoa futures moved sharply higher after Hershey’s forecast eased demand worries, a market reaction that reflects positioning and short covering more than a direct company operational change; rising cocoa futures are a mixed signal for producers and suppliers. Barchart: Cocoa Prices Settle Sharply Higher
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure persists — despite the top?line beat, margins were hurt by high cocoa costs and tariff expenses; Q4 profit remained well below year?ago levels and input-costs could limit near?term margin expansion even as pricing helps sales. WSJ: Hershey profit dragged down by tariffs, cocoa costs

Institutional Trading of Hershey

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Hershey in the third quarter valued at $26,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the 2nd quarter worth about $72,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Hershey by 20.2% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 697 shares of the company’s stock valued at $116,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its holdings in shares of Hershey by 13.6% in the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 1,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $187,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.