Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Upgraded to “Strong-Buy” at Zacks Research

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) was upgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on HSY. Barclays set a $210.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, January 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Hershey from $187.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Bank of America upped their price target on Hershey from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $214.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Argus raised shares of Hershey to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $191.79.

Hershey Stock Up 2.2%

Shares of NYSE:HSY opened at $194.74 on Thursday. Hershey has a 52-week low of $140.13 and a 52-week high of $201.86. The stock has a market cap of $39.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.11 and a beta of 0.18. The business has a fifty day moving average of $187.24 and a two-hundred day moving average of $184.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.24. Hershey had a net margin of 11.84% and a return on equity of 32.08%. The firm had revenue of $3.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.11 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.34 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Hershey will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Hershey news, CEO Kirk Tanner purchased 2,000 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $185.46 per share, with a total value of $370,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Stacy Taffet acquired 200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The stock was acquired 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 position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock worth $1,119,450 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Hershey

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of HSY. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its holdings in Hershey by 1,537.5% in the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 131 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the period. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey during the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

More Hershey News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks added HSY to its Rank #1 (Strong Buy) list and to its income-stock recommendations — a formal upgrade that can attract investor flows and income-focused buyers. New Strong Buy Stocks for January 30th Best Income Stocks to Buy for January 30th
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and previews expect Hershey to beat Q4 estimates based on solid demand, pricing power and brand strength — earnings beats typically drive short-term stock gains. Hershey Expected to Beat Earnings Estimates Q4 Earnings on Deck: What to Expect
• Positive Sentiment: Product innovation: Jolly Rancher launched a new spicy gummy collaboration (VeeFriends), which can boost seasonal demand and brand buzz — a tangible growth catalyst for confection sales. Hot Take: Jolly Rancher Just Made Gummies Spicy
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and earnings optimism article highlights both potential upside from continued margin improvement and the stock’s premium multiple — useful context but mixed impact short term. A Look At Hershey Valuation As Earnings Optimism And New Jolly Rancher Gummies Draw Attention
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage note: HSY traded up while broader market dipped — shows defensive demand but not a definitive directional signal. Hershey Rises As Market Takes a Dip
• Negative Sentiment: MarketWatch flags that HSY still underperformed key competitors on a relative basis despite daily gains — relative weakness could limit further multiple expansion until comps show similar strength. Hershey Co. stock underperforms Friday when compared to competitors despite daily gains

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.