Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Price Target Lowered to $227.00 at Morgan Stanley

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley cut its price target on Hershey from $247 to $227 while keeping an "overweight" rating, a target that implies roughly a 20.25% upside from the current share price.
• The broker consensus remains a "Hold" with a consensus price target of $223.83, as analyst views are mixed (six Buys vs. seventeen Holds).
• Hershey beat quarterly expectations with $1.71 EPS vs. $1.40 expected and revenue of $3.09B vs. $2.97B, and issued FY2026 guidance of 8.200–8.520 EPS (analysts forecast ~8.38 EPS).

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) had its price objective cut by Morgan Stanley from $247.00 to $227.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "overweight" rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley's price target points to a potential upside of 20.25% from the stock's current price.

Several other analysts also recently commented on HSY. Barclays reduced their target price on Hershey from $240.00 to $225.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Hershey from $182.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Zacks Research downgraded Hershey from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $185.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Stephens raised their target price on Hershey from $200.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $223.83.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of Hershey stock opened at $188.77 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $214.17 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $196.91. Hershey has a 1-year low of $150.04 and a 1-year high of $239.48. The company has a market cap of $38.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.50, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.18.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.31. Hershey had a return on equity of 27.90% and a net margin of 7.55%.The firm had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.97 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.69 EPS. The business's revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Hershey will post 8.38 EPS for the current year.

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 in the company, valued at approximately $7,814,787.76. The trade was a 9.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 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 owned 41,036 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,277,008.52. This trade represents a 4.65% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 10,000 shares of company stock worth $2,189,090. Insiders own 0.08% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Syon Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Syon Capital LLC now owns 3,020 shares of the company's stock worth $550,000 after buying an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Haverford Trust Co lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Haverford Trust Co now owns 6,796 shares of the company's stock worth $1,237,000 after buying an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 2,561 shares of the company's stock worth $466,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Venture Visionary Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Venture Visionary Partners LLC now owns 8,034 shares of the company's stock worth $1,462,000 after buying an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 3,070 shares of the company's stock worth $559,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.

Hershey News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs issued a Buy on HSY, providing visible analyst support and a higher price target that underpins upside for the stock. The Hershey Company (HSY) Gets a Buy from Goldman Sachs
• Neutral Sentiment: Hershey is overhauling its sustainability strategy; management says progress has been made but more work remains — a longer‑term reputational/consumer trend that could help brand resilience but is unlikely to move near‑term earnings. Why Hershey is making big changes to its sustainability strategy
• Neutral Sentiment: CFO Steven Voskuil sold 1,500 shares under a pre‑arranged Rule 10b5‑1 plan; the trade reduces his stake modestly but the plan reduces informational significance. Insider Selling: Hershey NYSE: HSY CFO Sells 1,500 Shares of Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Consensus broker rating across firms remains around "Hold," signaling no broad, decisive upgrade trend despite pockets of bullishness. Hershey Company The) (NYSE: HSY Given Consensus Rating of "Hold" by Brokerages
• Negative Sentiment: Stifel Nicolaus lowered its price target and maintained a Hold, trimming upside expectations and contributing to downside pressure on sentiment. The Hershey Company (HSY) Gets a Hold from Stifel Nicolaus
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan lowered its expectations for Hershey, adding to analyst headwinds that can pressure the stock until clearer demand or margin signals appear. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Has Lowered Expectations for Hershey NYSE: HSY Stock Price
• Negative Sentiment: Shares recently traded lower (about a 1.4% intraday decline noted in market summaries), reflecting immediate investor reaction to the mix of downgrades, lowered targets and insider activity. Hershey (HSY) Registers a Bigger Fall Than the Market: Important Facts to Note
• Negative Sentiment: Recent media pieces highlight a more pessimistic near‑term forecast from Stifel/other outlets, amplifying the analyst-driven downside narrative. Stifel Nicolaus Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Hershey NYSE: HSY Stock Price

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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