Morgan Stanley Lowers Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Price Target to $227.00

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its target price reduced by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $247.00 to $227.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage presently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price points to a potential upside of 18.47% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research cut shares of Hershey from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $267.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Hershey from $240.00 to $225.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Hershey from $230.00 to $211.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Hershey from $165.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $223.83.

Hershey Stock Performance

NYSE HSY opened at $191.60 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $212.88 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $196.86. The stock has a market cap of $38.84 billion, a PE ratio of 44.15, a PEG ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.18. Hershey has a fifty-two week low of $150.04 and a fifty-two 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.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.31. The firm had revenue of $3.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.97 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 7.55% and a return on equity of 27.90%. The company’s revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.69 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Hershey will post 8.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total value of $452,140.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 41,036 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,277,008.52. The trade was a 4.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.10, for a total transaction of $291,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 57,695 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,198,599.50. This represents a 2.53% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 10,000 shares of company stock valued at $2,189,090 over the last 90 days. 0.08% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Hershey

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its holdings in Hershey by 1,537.5% in the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 131 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the period. Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new position in Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Reflection Asset Management acquired a new position in Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Hershey in the third quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. 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: Goldman Sachs initiated a Buy on HSY, providing a bullish bench of institutional support that can limit downside and attract buyers. The Hershey Company (HSY) Gets a Buy from Goldman Sachs
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley cut its price target from $247 to $227 but kept an Overweight rating—still implying material upside (about ~18% from current levels), which supports a constructive medium-term view. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: BTIG started coverage with a Neutral rating, praising Hershey’s pricing, cost dynamics and international expansion but not yet enough to drive an upgrade. Why Are Wall Street Firms Cautious on The Hershey Company (HSY)
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary on a recent ~10% pullback frames HSY as either a dip to buy after a strong multi-year run or a signal of near-term volatility—investors are debating valuation vs. momentum. Is It Too Late To Consider Hershey (HSY) After Recent 10.7% Share Price Pullback?
• Neutral Sentiment: An executive stock-sale disclosure drew attention but didn’t produce a clear directional signal—worth monitoring insider activity for follow-through. Did Hershey Shares Move After Exec Stock Sale Disclosure?
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and previews (Zacks/Yahoo) expect a decline in upcoming quarterly earnings and note Hershey lacks clear beat catalysts, raising short-term downside risk around the report. Analysts Estimate Hershey (HSY) to Report a Decline in Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Stifel and other commentators issued cautious/pessimistic views on HSY’s near-term outlook, adding selling pressure amid concerns about volumes and margin trends in packaged foods. Stifel Nicolaus Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Stock Price
• Negative Sentiment: Broader consumer-staples commentary flags sector underperformance vs. the market, creating headwinds for brand names like Hershey if risk appetite stays tilted toward growth. 3 Consumer Stocks We Think Twice About

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.