Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Stock Price Target Cut by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its price target lowered by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $193.00 to $183.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective indicates a potential upside of 9.28% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. DA Davidson set a $190.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $208.00 to $200.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $212.00 to $206.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Hershey from $190.00 to $170.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $178.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Wednesday. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $200.67.

Hershey Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of NYSE:HSY traded up $3.21 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $167.46. 395,313 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,839,841. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a current ratio of 1.18. The company has a market cap of $33.65 billion, a PE ratio of 22.88, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.10. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $173.44 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $181.59. Hershey has a twelve month low of $156.16 and a twelve month high of $239.48.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.43 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $2.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.63 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 12.24% and a return on equity of 31.92%. The firm’s revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.21 EPS. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.360-8.520 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Hershey will post 8.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Hershey news, CFO Steven Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the 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 transaction, the chief financial officer owned 53,195 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,043,150. This trade represents a 2.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, 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 currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. William Allan Corp raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 3.9% during the third quarter. William Allan Corp now owns 19,813 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,123,000 after acquiring an additional 745 shares in the last quarter. Virginia Wealth Management Group Inc. boosted its position in Hershey by 1.2% during the third quarter. Virginia Wealth Management Group Inc. now owns 23,002 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,625,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares during the last quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. acquired a new stake in Hershey during the third quarter valued at $594,000. Focus Financial Network Inc. grew its stake in Hershey by 22.7% in the third quarter. Focus Financial Network Inc. now owns 1,739 shares of the company’s stock valued at $274,000 after purchasing an additional 322 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Copeland Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Hershey by 27.0% in the third quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 1,016 shares of the company’s stock valued at $160,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

About Hershey

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is a global confectionery and snack food company headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Founded by Milton S. Hershey in 1894, the company began as a chocolate manufacturer and has grown into one of the largest producers of confectionery products in North America.

Hershey’s portfolio includes chocolate, candy, gum, mints, protein bars and salty snacks. Its well-known brands include Hershey’s, Reese’s, Kisses, Kit Kat, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, SkinnyPop and Dot’s.