Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Reaches New 52-Week High on Analyst Upgrade

Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) shares hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday after Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on the stock from $185.00 to $207.00. Jefferies Financial Group currently has a neutral rating on the stock. Hershey traded as high as $202.72 and last traded at $201.2560, with a volume of 102719 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $198.01.

A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on HSY. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $214.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Hershey from $187.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Hershey from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Hershey from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Hershey presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $194.84.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other Hershey news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $198.67, for a total value of $298,005.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 52,319 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,394,215.73. This trade represents a 2.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Kirk Tanner bought 2,000 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $185.46 per share, for a total transaction of $370,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 47,860 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,876,115.60. This represents a 4.36% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock worth $1,119,450. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Hershey

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts at Jefferies raised their price target to $207 (neutral rating), signaling modest upside and supporting investor confidence. Jefferies Raises PT
• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson also lifted its price target to $207 (neutral rating), reinforcing the view that valuation upside exists around current levels. DA Davidson Raises PT
• Positive Sentiment: Hershey announced an Investor Day for March 31, 2026 — a chance for management to lay out strategy, targets and margin/rationalization plans that could drive medium-term sentiment. Investor Day Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: New seasonal product launches (Easter collection including Jolly Rancher Gummies and expanded Cadbury/Reese’s SKUs) support near-term sales and merchandising momentum into the holiday period. Easter Product Rollout
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary from Zacks lists Hershey among consumer-staple names positioned to beat earnings, citing resilient demand, pricing discipline and easing cost pressures — a bullish catalyst ahead of results. Zacks Picks
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published a Q4 earnings preview for Hershey that highlights key metrics investors should watch; this is informational ahead of the report and may temper surprises. Q4 Earnings Preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Kalkine Media examines Hershey’s role in the consumer staples portion of the S&P 500 — useful context for index-driven flows but not an immediate catalyst. Kalkine S&P 500 Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: A Zacks piece on consumer staples earnings watchers notes margin pressure and cautious consumers across the group — a sector-level headwind that investors will weigh against Hershey-specific positives. Consumer Staples Earnings Context
• Negative Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $185 price target, implying downside versus current levels and creating a countervailing analyst voice. RBC Reaffirmation

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 19,067,235 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,469,855,000 after acquiring an additional 191,671 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in Hershey by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,253,041 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,356,681,000 after purchasing an additional 128,982 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Hershey by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,116,739 shares of the company’s stock worth $849,123,000 after purchasing an additional 125,100 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Hershey by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,567,373 shares of the company’s stock valued at $755,305,000 after purchasing an additional 126,519 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of Hershey by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,276,326 shares of the company’s stock valued at $543,712,000 after purchasing an additional 144,640 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 1.36. The company has a market capitalization of $40.86 billion, a PE ratio of 30.11 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $187.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $185.11.

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.