Morgan Stanley Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Stock

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its price objective upped by investment analysts at Morgan Stanley from $238.00 to $247.00 in a research report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 12.11% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research firms have also commented on HSY. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $250.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, February 6th. DA Davidson set a $243.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, February 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and set a $188.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Zacks Research upgraded Hershey from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Argus raised Hershey to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Hershey has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $222.68.

Hershey Price Performance

HSY stock traded up $3.24 during trading on Monday, reaching $220.33. 501,606 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,993,806. Hershey has a 52-week low of $150.04 and a 52-week high of $239.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.19. The company has a market cap of $44.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.75, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.14. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $210.70 and its 200 day moving average price is $193.42.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its quarterly 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 the consensus estimate of $2.97 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 7.55% and a return on equity of 27.90%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.69 EPS. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Hershey will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hershey news, insider Rohit Grover sold 3,500 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total value of $791,245.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 34,568 shares in the company, valued at $7,814,787.76. This trade represents a 9.19% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total value of $452,140.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 41,036 shares in the company, valued at $9,277,008.52. This trade represents a 4.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 10,000 shares of company stock valued at $2,153,645. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Hershey

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 1,537.5% in the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 131 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the period. Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Reflection Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the third quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.