Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Price Target Lowered to $204.00 at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its price objective cut by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $211.00 to $204.00 in a research report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the stock.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on HSY. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on Hershey from $230.00 to $215.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Hershey from $247.00 to $227.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. TD Cowen upgraded Hershey from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $210.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $249.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their target price on Hershey from $165.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $220.56.

Hershey Stock Performance

Hershey stock traded down $3.42 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $182.32. The stock had a trading volume of 1,794,054 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,891,227. Hershey has a 12 month low of $150.04 and a 12 month high of $239.48. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $210.21 and its 200 day moving average price is $196.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.96 billion, a PE ratio of 42.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $2.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.04 by $0.31. Hershey had a return on equity of 28.98% and a net margin of 9.12%.The business had revenue of $3.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.09 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Hershey will post 8.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.452 per share. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Hershey’s payout ratio is presently 133.87%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In other Hershey news, insider Rohit Grover sold 3,500 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total transaction of $791,245.00. Following the completion of 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total value of $452,140.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 41,036 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,277,008.52. The trade was a 4.65% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 10,000 shares of company stock valued at $2,189,090 in the last quarter. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Global Assets Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey in the first quarter worth approximately $113,000. Carnegie Investment Counsel bought a new position in shares of Hershey in the first quarter worth approximately $205,000. Midwest Trust Co increased its position in shares of Hershey by 6.3% in the first quarter. Midwest Trust Co now owns 6,726 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,398,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its position in shares of Hershey by 126.4% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 84,215 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,508,000 after purchasing an additional 47,017 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Markel Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Hershey by 11.1% in the first quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 75,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,592,000 after purchasing an additional 7,500 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Hershey News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results topped estimates: Hershey reported stronger-than-expected revenue and adjusted EPS, driven by pricing and cost pass-through, which supports near-term top-line durability. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: GLP‑1 tailwind for mints/gum: Management said rising use of GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs is boosting demand for mints and gum (Ice Breakers), a growing, higher‑margin category offsetting some snack weakness. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase/confirmation: Hershey declared its quarterly dividend ($1.452/share), supporting income investors and signaling confidence in cash flow. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings-call color — innovation and seasonal help: Management cited strong Easter sales and innovation/premiumization gains (luxury chocolate initiatives), which support medium‑term brand momentum but are not immediate growth guarantees. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure from higher input and freight costs: Several coverage pieces and the company commentary highlight rising costs that compressed margins despite the beat — a key reason investors are less enthused. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Softer guidance focus: Although Hershey reaffirmed 2026 guidance, investors fixated on slightly softer near‑term wording and demand uncertainty, which trimmed sentiment after the print. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst reactions trimmed optimism: Multiple firms kept neutral/hold stances or lowered price targets (Barclays, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, BTIG maintained/adjusted coverage), reflecting concerns about near‑term demand elasticity and a premium valuation — adding selling pressure. Read More. Read More. Read More.

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.