Hershey’s (HSY) “Sector Perform” Rating Reaffirmed at Royal Bank Of Canada

Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated their sector perform rating on shares of Hershey (NYSE:HSY) in a research report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $185.00 price objective on the stock.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. Evercore ISI reissued a “positive” rating on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, October 31st. DA Davidson lifted their target price on shares of Hershey from $185.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Hershey from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Hershey from $185.00 to $207.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Piper Sandler set a $213.00 price target on shares of Hershey and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. One 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $194.84.

Hershey Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of NYSE:HSY opened at $201.47 on Tuesday. Hershey has a 52-week low of $140.13 and a 52-week high of $204.41. 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 1.36. The company has a fifty day moving average of $187.77 and a 200-day moving average of $185.11.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chief financial officer owned 52,319 shares in the company, valued at $10,394,215.73. The trade was a 2.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Kirk Tanner purchased 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly 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. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock worth $1,119,450. Company insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in HSY. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC bought a new position in Hershey in the second quarter worth approximately $224,000. Liberty One Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Hershey by 32.4% during the third quarter. Liberty One Investment Management LLC now owns 38,076 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,122,000 after purchasing an additional 9,309 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its position in shares of Hershey by 4.8% during the second quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 58,078 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,695,000 after purchasing an additional 2,659 shares during the period. Independent Advisor Alliance lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 6.4% in the 3rd quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 42,538 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,957,000 after purchasing an additional 2,573 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CORDA Investment Management LLC. grew its position in Hershey by 6.6% in the 3rd quarter. CORDA Investment Management LLC. now owns 113,746 shares of the company’s stock valued at $21,276,000 after purchasing an additional 7,064 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Hershey News

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

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.