Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Price Target Cut to $206.00 by Analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada

Key Points

• Royal Bank of Canada cut Hershey’s price target to $206 from $212 while maintaining a “sector perform” rating, implying roughly 10.4% upside from the $186.56 share price.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: Hershey has an overall “Hold” consensus, with 16 Hold ratings and seven Buy ratings, and an average price target of $204.78.
• Despite the target cuts, Hershey exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.90 in EPS versus $1.43 expected and $2.79 billion in revenue, up 6.6% year over year.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) had its target price cut by equities researchers at Royal Bank Of Canada from $212.00 to $206.00 in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "sector perform" rating on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada's price target suggests a potential upside of 10.42% from the company's current price.

HSY has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on Hershey from $249.00 to $200.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Barclays lowered their price objective on Hershey from $208.00 to $200.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Evercore set a $225.00 price objective on Hershey in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Hershey from $215.00 to $180.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $191.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Hershey presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $204.78.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:HSY opened at $186.56 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. Hershey has a 52 week low of $161.43 and a 52 week high of $239.48. The company's fifty day moving average is $178.30 and its 200 day moving average is $195.57. The stock has a market cap of $37.49 billion, a PE ratio of 25.49, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.11.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total transaction of $255,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 53,195 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,043,150. This trade represents a 2.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Hershey during the second quarter worth about $2,303,889,000. GQG Partners LLC acquired a new position in Hershey in the 2nd quarter valued at about $485,436,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the second quarter valued at approximately $274,871,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at $272,506,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the 2nd quarter valued at about $183,623,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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