Evercore ISI Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Stock

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its price objective upped by stock analysts at Evercore ISI from $215.00 to $250.00 in a report released on Friday, Marketbeat reports. The firm presently has an “in-line” rating on the stock. Evercore ISI’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 8.19% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Argus raised shares of Hershey to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $267.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday. Barclays set a $240.00 price target on Hershey in a research report on Friday. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Hershey from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Piper Sandler set a $213.00 price target on shares of Hershey and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $218.21.

Hershey Trading Up 3.0%

Shares of Hershey stock traded up $6.70 during trading on Friday, hitting $231.08. The stock had a trading volume of 2,021,452 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,052,206. Hershey has a 1 year low of $150.04 and a 1 year high of $234.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The company has a market capitalization of $46.86 billion, a PE ratio of 34.54 and a beta of 0.18. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $188.83 and a 200 day simple moving average of $185.53.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.31. The company had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.97 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 32.08% and a net margin of 11.84%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.69 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Hershey will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hershey news, CEO Kirk Tanner purchased 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $185.46 per share, for a total transaction of $370,920.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 47,860 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,876,115.60. The trade was a 4.36% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $198.67, for a total value of $298,005.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 52,319 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,394,215.73. This trade represents a 2.79% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock worth $1,119,450. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in Hershey by 6.5% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,310 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,618,000 after purchasing an additional 937 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Hershey during the second quarter valued at $128,000. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lifted its stake in Hershey by 4.0% in the second quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 7,081 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,175,000 after buying an additional 273 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE grew its position in shares of Hershey by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 402,266 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,756,000 after buying an additional 4,484 shares during the period. Finally, Callan Family Office LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 65.5% during the second quarter. Callan Family Office LLC now owns 3,913 shares of the company’s stock valued at $649,000 after purchasing an additional 1,549 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Hershey News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Hershey reported Q4 results that beat estimates (EPS $1.71 vs. ~$1.40 consensus) and raised FY‑2026 earnings and revenue guidance, signaling a recovery path. This is the primary catalyst lifting the stock. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a quarterly dividend hike to $1.452 (ex‑dividend Feb 17), a 6% increase that supports yield-focused buyers and likely drew inflows ahead of the payout. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Several brokers raised price targets after the print — Evercore ISI lifted its target to $250 (in‑line rating), and Bank of America boosted its target to $240 while keeping a Hold — these upgrades reflect better earnings visibility and support upside. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Other analysts stayed on the sidelines with Hold/Equal‑Weight stances (Deutsche Bank, TD Cowen, RBC) despite modest target changes — mixed analyst tone means conviction varies among institutional buyers. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Cocoa futures moved higher after Hershey’s outlook eased demand concerns (short covering); commodity volatility remains important but the market reaction was mixed. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure persists from elevated cocoa prices and tariffs; management flagged cocoa/tariff costs as ongoing headwinds that could weigh on near‑term profitability. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its target to $220 but kept an Equal Weight rating — the target sits below recent trade levels, implying limited near‑term upside from that shop’s perspective. Article Title

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.