Evercore ISI Increases Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Price Target to $250.00

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its price target increased by investment analysts at Evercore ISI from $215.00 to $250.00 in a report released on Friday. The firm presently has an “in-line” rating on the stock. Evercore ISI’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 7.66% from the company’s previous close.

HSY has been the topic of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $236.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of Hershey from $185.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Piper Sandler set a $213.00 target price on shares of Hershey and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $214.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $202.61.

Hershey Price Performance

Hershey stock traded up $7.84 on Friday, reaching $232.22. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 217,384 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,980,620. Hershey has a twelve month low of $150.04 and a twelve month high of $234.43. The company has a market cap of $47.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.67 and a beta of 0.18. 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 business’s fifty day moving average price is $188.83 and its 200 day moving average price is $185.53.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.31. Hershey had a net margin of 11.84% and a return on equity of 32.08%. The firm had revenue of $3.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.69 EPS. The company’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. Equities analysts expect that Hershey will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In related news, insider Stacy Taffet acquired 200 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,371 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,744,786.49. The trade was a 2.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 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 bought at an average price of $185.46 per share, for a total transaction of $370,920.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 47,860 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,876,115.60. This trade represents a 4.36% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 6,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,119,450 over the last 90 days. 0.34% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Hershey

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position 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 buying an additional 937 shares during the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the second quarter valued at approximately $128,000. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 4.0% in the second quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 7,081 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,175,000 after purchasing an additional 273 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings in Hershey by 1.1% during the second quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 402,266 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,756,000 after purchasing an additional 4,484 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Callan Family Office LLC grew its position in Hershey by 65.5% in the second quarter. Callan Family Office LLC now owns 3,913 shares of the company’s stock valued at $649,000 after purchasing an additional 1,549 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Hershey News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and upgraded FY2026 guidance — HSY reported $1.71 EPS on $3.09B revenue (above consensus) and issued FY2026 EPS guidance of $8.20–$8.52 vs. Street ~7.08; management cited resilient demand and price realization driving the outlook. Hershey Reports Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Financial Results; Provides 2026 Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend hike signals confidence — Board raised the quarterly dividend to $1.452 (6% increase), supporting income-focused investor interest heading into the ex-dividend date. Hershey Declares Quarterly Dividends
• Positive Sentiment: Short-term technical/flow boost — Shares reached a 52-week high as investors rotated into HSY ahead of the dividend and after the upbeat outlook. This buying likely contributed to the intraday strength. The Hershey Company (HSY) Climbs to 52-Week High Ahead of Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts incremental but cautious — Several firms (Bank of America, TD Cowen, others) kept Hold/neutral ratings while raising price targets after the results; that suggests the beat helped sentiment but did not convert skeptics to strong buys. Hershey: Strong Earnings Momentum and Margin Recovery Potential Offset by Cocoa Volatility and Cost Risks
• Negative Sentiment: Cocoa volatility and rising cocoa futures — Hershey’s optimistic outlook helped lift cocoa futures as traders covered shorts, which increases the risk of higher commodity costs ahead and could pressure margins if prices stay elevated. Cocoa Prices Settle Sharply Higher as Demand Fears Ease
• Negative Sentiment: Tariffs and commodity costs still weigh on profitability — Coverage notes and the WSJ report highlight that tariffs and high cocoa costs trimmed Q4 profits; sustained cost pressure could limit margin recovery despite price increases. 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.