Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Issues 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 7.080. The company issued revenue guidance of $12.2 billion-$12.3 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $12.0 billion.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on HSY. Zacks Research upgraded Hershey from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $185.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company set a $182.00 price objective on shares of Hershey and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Hershey from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Hershey from $185.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and fifteen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $197.56.

Hershey Trading Up 8.5%

Shares of NYSE:HSY opened at $223.21 on Thursday. Hershey has a 12-month low of $150.04 and a 12-month high of $215.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $188.12 and a two-hundred day moving average of $185.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.46 and a beta of 0.18.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.31. The business had revenue of $3.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.97 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 11.84% and a return on equity of 32.08%. Hershey’s revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.69 EPS. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Hershey will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $198.67, for a total transaction of $298,005.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 52,319 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,394,215.73. This represents a 2.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Stacy Taffet bought 200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $186.19 per share, with a total value of $37,238.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 9,371 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,744,786.49. The trade was a 2.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 6,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,119,450 in the last 90 days. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Hershey

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly beat: HSY reported Q4 EPS $1.71 vs. consensus $1.40 and revenue $3.09B vs. $2.97B, showing demand resilience and supporting near-term earnings confidence. Hershey Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend confirmed: Board declared quarterly dividends of $1.452 (Common) and $1.320 (Class B), supporting income investors and signaling confidence in cash flow. Hershey Declares Quarterly Dividends
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Several firms raised targets/positive notes (DA Davidson, Jefferies) and an upgrade pushed HSY to a 1-year high, which can sustain investor interest and momentum. Jefferies Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation
• Neutral Sentiment: Company outlook released: Hershey filed full Q4 results and a 2026 outlook; investors should review the guidance for assumptions on pricing, cost saves and commodity pass-throughs. Hershey Reports Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Financial Results; Provides 2026 Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Product news: Seasonal launches (Easter collection, new Jolly Rancher gummies, Cadbury/Reese’s SKUs) keep assortment fresh but are unlikely to move near-term fundamentals materially. Hershey Easter Collection
• Negative Sentiment: Cost headwinds: WSJ reports tariffs and elevated cocoa prices dragged Q4 profit, confirming management’s comments that commodity/tariff pressures are weighing on margins and could limit upside. Hershey Profit Dragged Down by Tariffs, Cocoa Costs
• Negative Sentiment: Cautious analyst note: RBC reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating with a $185 target — materially below the current level — which could cap upside if other analysts echo caution. RBC Sector Perform Note

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake 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 purchasing an additional 937 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Hershey by 20.2% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 697 shares of the company’s stock worth $116,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $267,000. Bank of Nova Scotia raised its stake in Hershey by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 17,927 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,975,000 after acquiring an additional 769 shares during the period. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its position in Hershey by 5.4% during the second quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 22,247 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,692,000 after purchasing an additional 1,149 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

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.