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

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its price target boosted by equities researchers at Evercore from $215.00 to $250.00 in a research report issued on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage presently has an “in-line” rating on the stock. Evercore’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 8.17% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Hershey from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $214.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Hershey from $187.00 to $189.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $188.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $218.21.

Hershey Stock Up 3.0%

NYSE:HSY opened at $231.11 on Friday. Hershey has a twelve month low of $150.04 and a twelve month high of $234.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.25 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $189.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $185.93.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.31. The business had revenue of $3.09 billion during 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 firm’s revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.69 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Hershey will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $198.67, for a total transaction 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 approximately $10,394,215.73. This trade represents a 2.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Stacy Taffet bought 200 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $186.19 per share, with a total value of $37,238.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 9,371 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,744,786.49. This trade represents a 2.18% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock worth $1,119,450 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 1,537.5% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 131 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the period. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Hershey during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH bought a new position in Hershey during the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Hershey in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat estimates and management raised FY‑2026 guidance (EPS 8.20–8.52, revenue ~ $12.2–12.3B), giving investors confidence in demand resilience and pricing power. Reuters: Hershey sees strong 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Hershey raised its quarterly dividend by 6% (to $1.452/share), signaling management confidence and attracting income investors ahead of the ex‑dividend date. PR Newswire: Hershey Declares Quarterly Dividends
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised price targets after the report — Evercore ISI lifted its target to $250 (in-line rating), and others followed with higher targets, supporting further upside narrative. The Fly: Evercore raises target
• Neutral Sentiment: Market reaction in cocoa futures — cocoa prices rose after Hershey’s upbeat outlook, reflecting eased demand concerns; this can be a mixed signal for margins vs. broader industry health. Barchart: Cocoa prices settle higher
• Neutral Sentiment: Several Wall Street firms reiterated Hold/Equal Weight but nudged up targets (Wells Fargo to $220, BofA to $240, TD Cowen to $210), indicating cautious optimism but not broad conviction to upgrade to Buy. Benzinga: Wells Fargo raises target
• Negative Sentiment: Margins remain under pressure from higher cocoa costs and tariffs; outlets highlighted that profit was dragged by these items even as top‑line and EPS beat. Continued commodity volatility is a downside risk to the earnings recovery. WSJ: Profit dragged by tariffs, cocoa costs
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and commentary cautioned that cocoa price volatility and cost/tariff risks could limit margin recovery, supporting Hold ratings for risk‑averse investors. TipRanks: Hold ratings due to cocoa volatility

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.