Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Hershey (NYSE:HSY) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report issued on Thursday morning,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on HSY. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Hershey from $185.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Evercore ISI restated a “positive” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, October 31st. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on Hershey from $204.00 to $200.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 31st. Barclays set a $210.00 target price on Hershey in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Piper Sandler set a $213.00 price target on shares of Hershey and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $191.79.

Hershey Stock Up 2.2%

Shares of HSY opened at $194.74 on Thursday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $187.24 and its 200 day moving average is $184.57. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Hershey has a 12-month low of $140.13 and a 12-month high of $201.86. The company has a market capitalization of $39.49 billion, a PE ratio of 29.11 and a beta of 0.18.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.24. The business had revenue of $3.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.11 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 32.08% and a net margin of 11.84%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.34 EPS. Research analysts expect that Hershey will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

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 stock was purchased at an average cost of $185.46 per share, with a total value of $370,920.00. Following 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Stacy Taffet acquired 200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $186.19 per share, with a total value of $37,238.00. Following the acquisition, the insider owned 9,371 shares in the company, valued at $1,744,786.49. This trade represents a 2.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock worth $1,119,450. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its holdings in Hershey by 1,537.5% during the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 131 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH bought a new position in shares of Hershey during the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Hershey during the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

More Hershey News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks added HSY to its Rank #1 (Strong Buy) list and to its income-stock recommendations — a formal upgrade that can attract investor flows and income-focused buyers. New Strong Buy Stocks for January 30th Best Income Stocks to Buy for January 30th
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and previews expect Hershey to beat Q4 estimates based on solid demand, pricing power and brand strength — earnings beats typically drive short-term stock gains. Hershey Expected to Beat Earnings Estimates Q4 Earnings on Deck: What to Expect
• Positive Sentiment: Product innovation: Jolly Rancher launched a new spicy gummy collaboration (VeeFriends), which can boost seasonal demand and brand buzz — a tangible growth catalyst for confection sales. Hot Take: Jolly Rancher Just Made Gummies Spicy
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and earnings optimism article highlights both potential upside from continued margin improvement and the stock’s premium multiple — useful context but mixed impact short term. A Look At Hershey Valuation As Earnings Optimism And New Jolly Rancher Gummies Draw Attention
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage note: HSY traded up while broader market dipped — shows defensive demand but not a definitive directional signal. Hershey Rises As Market Takes a Dip
• Negative Sentiment: MarketWatch flags that HSY still underperformed key competitors on a relative basis despite daily gains — relative weakness could limit further multiple expansion until comps show similar strength. Hershey Co. stock underperforms Friday when compared to competitors despite daily gains

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.