Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Price Target Cut to $200.00 by Analysts at Wells Fargo & Company

Key Points

• Wells Fargo cut its price target on Hershey to $200 from $220 and maintained an "equal weight" rating, implying about a 7.9% upside from the prior close.
• Q1 results beat expectations: Hershey reported $2.35 EPS vs. $2.04 expected and $3.10B revenue vs. $3.03B, with pricing driving double‑digit revenue growth but margins pressured by rising costs and softer volumes.
• Market and analysts remain cautious—Hershey's consensus rating is "Hold" with an average target of $223.28, the stock traded around $185.29, and insiders sold roughly 10,000 shares (~$2.19M) in recent months.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) had its price target decreased by equities researchers at Wells Fargo & Company from $220.00 to $200.00 in a report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "equal weight" rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company's price objective suggests a potential upside of 7.94% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on HSY. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $185.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Hershey from $165.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Hershey from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $267.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $223.28.

Hershey Stock Down 0.2%

NYSE HSY traded down $0.45 on Friday, hitting $185.29. The stock had a trading volume of 80,041 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,990,679. The stock has a market cap of $37.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.72. Hershey has a 52-week low of $150.04 and a 52-week high of $239.48. The business's fifty day moving average price is $210.21 and its 200 day moving average price is $196.68.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $2.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.04 by $0.31. The firm had revenue of $3.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.03 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 7.55% and a return on equity of 27.90%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.09 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Hershey will post 8.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hershey news, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 41,036 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,277,008.52. This represents a 4.65% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Rohit Grover sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total transaction of $791,245.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 34,568 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,814,787.76. The trade was a 9.19% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 10,000 shares of company stock worth $2,189,090 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.08% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Hershey

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 19,067,235 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,469,855,000 after buying an additional 191,671 shares during the period. Capital International Investors boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 9,106,431 shares of the company's stock worth $1,657,189,000 after purchasing an additional 169,660 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,253,041 shares of the company's stock worth $1,356,681,000 after purchasing an additional 128,982 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,315,653 shares of the company's stock worth $967,343,000 after purchasing an additional 124,464 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,831,101 shares of the company's stock worth $876,434,000 after purchasing an additional 104,024 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company's stock.

More Hershey News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat: Adjusted EPS of $2.35 and revenue of $3.10B topped Street estimates; management said pricing drove double‑digit revenue growth which supports near‑term top‑line resilience. Hershey Reports First‑Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: GLP‑1 tailwind: Management highlighted stronger mint and gum sales (Ice Breakers +8% in Q1) tied to broader GLP‑1 use — a structural demand boost for non‑snack categories. Hershey says GLP‑1s are driving higher gum and mint sales
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder return: Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.452 per share (annualized yield ~3.1%), supporting income investors. Hershey Declares Quarterly Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: Outlook posture: Management reaffirmed its 2026 sales and earnings outlook, which removes a downside surprise but did not provide an upside revision. Hershey Reports First‑Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Acquisitions/additions: Q1 sales also got a lift from the LesserEvil acquisition and mix changes; this helps growth but is modest vs. core business dynamics. Hershey sales up on pricing as “elasticity” eats into volumes
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure and volume softness: Rising input/cost pressures and softer volumes (pricing helped dollars but “elasticity” weighed on units) compressed margins — a key reason investors pared back multiples. Hershey Delivers Sweet Beat But Cost Pressures Leave A Bitter Taste
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst caution on demand and valuation: BTIG kept a Hold, citing near‑term demand uncertainty and a premium valuation that offsets the Q1 beat — adds selling pressure from cautious brokers. Hershey Kept at Hold as Near‑Term Demand Uncertainty and Premium Valuation Offset Solid Q1 Beat
• Negative Sentiment: Investor reaction: Despite beats, commentary and a slightly softer‑than‑expected outlook prompted a pullback in the stock as investors re‑rate growth vs. cost risks. Hershey beats Q1 expectations but dips on softer guidance outlook

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.

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