Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) Announces Dividend Increase – $1.45 Per Share

Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, February 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be paid a dividend of 1.452 per share on Monday, March 16th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. This is a 6.0% increase from Hershey’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.37.

Hershey has increased its dividend by an average of 0.1%per year over the last three years and has raised its dividend every year for the last 15 years. Hershey has a dividend payout ratio of 85.5% meaning its dividend is currently covered by earnings, but may not be in the future if the company’s earnings tumble. Research analysts expect Hershey to earn $6.83 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $5.48 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 80.2%.

Hershey Stock Up 8.8%

Hershey stock traded up $18.21 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $224.00. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 5,699,558 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,062,678. Hershey has a 52-week low of $150.04 and a 52-week high of $225.55. The company has a market cap of $45.42 billion, a PE ratio of 33.48 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.36 and a quick ratio of 0.83. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $188.83 and its 200 day moving average is $185.53.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.31. The company had revenue of $3.09 billion for 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.69 EPS. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Hershey will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Headlines 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

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.