Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Stock Price Target Lowered at BNP Paribas Exane

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its price target reduced by investment analysts at BNP Paribas Exane from $195.00 to $190.00 in a report released on Tuesday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane‘s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 15.28% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. DA Davidson set a $190.00 target price on Hershey and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $178.00 price target (down from $190.00) on shares of Hershey in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Hershey from $190.00 to $170.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 5th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on Hershey from $215.00 to $180.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Hershey from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Friday, October 23rd. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $196.05.

Hershey Trading Up 2.8%

NYSE:HSY traded up $4.53 on Tuesday, reaching $164.81. The stock had a trading volume of 944,451 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,840,955. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.66. The company has a market cap of $33.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.10. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $170.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $189.16. Hershey has a 12-month low of $156.16 and a 12-month high of $239.48.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $2.64 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.11 by $0.53. The company had revenue of $3.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.25 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 31.92% and a net margin of 12.24%. The firm’s revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.30 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Hershey will post 8.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the first quarter worth $27,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Compass Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, First Pacific Financial bought a new position in Hershey during the 2nd quarter worth $35,000. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Key Hershey News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Hershey reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $2.64 per share, well above the roughly $2.11–$2.12 consensus estimate, while revenue of $3.28 billion also exceeded expectations and rose 3% year over year. Pricing, cost relief and tariff refunds helped drive a sharp improvement in profitability. HSY Q3 Earnings Top Estimates on Cost Relief and Pricing Gains
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 earnings and sales outlook, supporting sentiment that pricing actions and productivity initiatives are offsetting some commodity and demand pressures. Hershey also expects 2027 sales growth of 2% to 4% and is expanding its innovation pipeline. Hershey targets 2% to 4% 2027 sales growth
• Positive Sentiment: Hershey declared a quarterly dividend of $1.452 per share, equivalent to $5.81 annually and a yield of approximately 3.6%, reinforcing the stock’s income appeal. Hershey Declares Quarterly Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: Evercore raised its price target to $225 and BNP Paribas Exane maintained an outperform rating despite cutting its target to $195. These targets imply analysts see recovery potential, but the revisions reflect continued uncertainty.
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen downgraded HSY from “buy” to “hold” with a $173 target, citing a more cautious risk-reward outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Higher cocoa and sugar costs, inflation, gasoline prices and interest rates are pressuring household budgets. Hershey warned that consumers may trade down to smaller packages, potentially hurting Halloween sales and volumes. The company trimmed its 2026 organic sales-growth outlook, while 2027 margins remain exposed to weak demand and cost inflation. Hershey warns financial pressures could weigh on Halloween spending

Hershey Company Profile

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

Hershey’s portfolio includes chocolate, non-chocolate confectionery, gum and mints, and salty snacks. Its brands include Hershey’s, Reese’s, Hershey’s Kisses, Kit Kat in the United States under license from Nestlé, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, SkinnyPop and Dot’s Pretzels.