Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 8.200-8.520 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 8.380. The company issued revenue guidance of $12.2 billion-$12.3 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $12.2 billion.

Hershey Price Performance

HSY traded up $1.36 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $210.35. The stock had a trading volume of 371,551 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,973,695. The company has a market cap of $42.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 0.18. Hershey has a 1 year low of $150.04 and a 1 year high of $239.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.19. The business has a fifty day moving average of $217.78 and a 200 day moving average of $196.47.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.31. The firm had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.97 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 27.90% and a net margin of 7.55%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.69 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Hershey will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were paid a dividend of $1.452 per share. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. This is a boost from Hershey’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.37. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 17th. Hershey’s payout ratio is currently 133.87%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $249.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Hershey from $185.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Stephens raised their price target on Hershey from $200.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Mizuho raised their price target on Hershey from $165.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $222.21.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total transaction of $452,140.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 41,036 shares in the company, valued at $9,277,008.52. This trade represents a 4.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Rohit Grover sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total value of $791,245.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 34,568 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,814,787.76. The trade was a 9.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 10,000 shares of company stock worth $2,195,945 over the last three months. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of HSY. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Hershey in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in Hershey in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in Hershey in the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. DV Equities LLC bought a new stake in Hershey in the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Hershey in the 4th quarter worth about $47,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Hershey

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.