Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Price Target Raised to $193.00 at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its price target hoisted by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $191.00 to $193.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target would indicate a potential upside of 10.74% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on HSY. Zacks Research cut Hershey from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. TD Cowen raised Hershey from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $210.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, May 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $201.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday. BTIG Research began coverage on Hershey in a research note on Monday, April 13th. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $190.00 price target on Hershey in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $203.61.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of Hershey stock traded down $2.95 during trading on Friday, hitting $174.28. 874,998 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,023,670. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $179.54 and its 200 day moving average is $196.85. The stock has a market cap of $35.35 billion, a PE ratio of 32.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.24. Hershey has a 12 month low of $161.43 and a 12 month high of $239.48.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.90 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.43 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $2.79 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.63 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 9.12% and a return on equity of 28.98%. Hershey’s quarterly revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.21 EPS. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.360-8.520 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Hershey will post 8.42 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total transaction of $255,000.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 53,195 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,043,150. The trade was a 2.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.08% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Boston Trust Walden Corp raised its stake in shares of Hershey by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 30,553 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,361,000 after buying an additional 187 shares in the last quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Hershey by 39.6% during the second quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,484 shares of the company’s stock valued at $962,000 after buying an additional 1,557 shares in the last quarter. Silver Coast Investments LLC boosted its stake in Hershey by 19.5% during the second quarter. Silver Coast Investments LLC now owns 4,171 shares of the company’s stock valued at $732,000 after buying an additional 680 shares in the last quarter. Greenwood Gearhart LLC acquired a new position in Hershey during the second quarter worth about $240,000. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. grew its holdings in Hershey by 9.9% during the second quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 38,869 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,821,000 after acquiring an additional 3,493 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Hershey

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Hershey reported second-quarter revenue of $2.79 billion, up 6.6% year over year and ahead of the $2.63 billion analyst consensus. Adjusted EPS of $1.90 exceeded estimates of approximately $1.43, supported by pricing, margin recovery and supply-chain improvements. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: Management tightened its 2026 outlook, forecasting sales growth of roughly 4.5% to 5% and reported EPS growth of 82% to 89%, while maintaining full-year EPS guidance of $8.36 to $8.52. The company said it is entering the second half with momentum. Hershey second-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: North America Salty Snacks sales increased 22.9% to $387.8 million, helped by the LesserEvil acquisition, while Reese’s and Dot’s Pretzels continued to show solid demand. Management also sees potential cocoa-cost relief in 2027. Hershey earnings call highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Hershey’s board declared a quarterly dividend of $1.452 per common share, unchanged from the prior payment and representing an annualized yield of about 3.3%. Hershey dividend announcement
• Negative Sentiment: The sales beat relied heavily on a 12% price increase, while volumes fell approximately 8%. Investors are concerned that elevated prices could weaken consumer demand and limit Hershey’s pricing power, particularly in North American confectionery.
• Negative Sentiment: Hershey continues to navigate cocoa-price volatility, supply-chain issues in salty snacks and a cautious consumer environment. Brokerages maintain a consensus “Hold” view, reflecting uncertainty over whether margin gains can offset weaker volumes.

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.