Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Price Target Cut to $200.00 by Analysts at Wells Fargo & Company

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its price target dropped by investment analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $220.00 to $200.00 in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price objective points to a potential upside of 7.94% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $249.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Hershey from $247.00 to $227.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $267.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, February 6th. TD Cowen raised shares of Hershey from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $210.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday. Finally, Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Hershey from $165.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $223.28.

Hershey Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:HSY traded down $0.45 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $185.29. 80,041 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,990,679. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The firm has a market cap of $37.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.03, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.18. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $210.21 and its 200 day simple moving average is $196.68. Hershey has a 1 year low of $150.04 and a 1 year high of $239.48.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $2.35 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.04 by $0.31. Hershey had a net margin of 7.55% and a return on equity of 27.90%. The company had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.03 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.09 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Hershey will post 8.4 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.10, for a total value of $291,150.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 57,695 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,198,599.50. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Rohit Grover sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total transaction of $791,245.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 34,568 shares in the company, valued at $7,814,787.76. The trade was a 9.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 10,000 shares of company stock worth $2,189,090. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Hershey

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in Hershey during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Reflection Asset Management purchased a new stake in Hershey during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Hershey during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Hershey during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat: Adjusted EPS of $2.35 and revenue of $3.10B topped Street estimates; management said pricing drove double‑digit revenue growth which supports near‑term top‑line resilience. Hershey Reports First‑Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: GLP‑1 tailwind: Management highlighted stronger mint and gum sales (Ice Breakers +8% in Q1) tied to broader GLP‑1 use — a structural demand boost for non‑snack categories. Hershey says GLP‑1s are driving higher gum and mint sales
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder return: Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.452 per share (annualized yield ~3.1%), supporting income investors. Hershey Declares Quarterly Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: Outlook posture: Management reaffirmed its 2026 sales and earnings outlook, which removes a downside surprise but did not provide an upside revision. Hershey Reports First‑Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Acquisitions/additions: Q1 sales also got a lift from the LesserEvil acquisition and mix changes; this helps growth but is modest vs. core business dynamics. Hershey sales up on pricing as “elasticity” eats into volumes
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure and volume softness: Rising input/cost pressures and softer volumes (pricing helped dollars but “elasticity” weighed on units) compressed margins — a key reason investors pared back multiples. Hershey Delivers Sweet Beat But Cost Pressures Leave A Bitter Taste
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst caution on demand and valuation: BTIG kept a Hold, citing near‑term demand uncertainty and a premium valuation that offsets the Q1 beat — adds selling pressure from cautious brokers. Hershey Kept at Hold as Near‑Term Demand Uncertainty and Premium Valuation Offset Solid Q1 Beat
• Negative Sentiment: Investor reaction: Despite beats, commentary and a slightly softer‑than‑expected outlook prompted a pullback in the stock as investors re‑rate growth vs. cost risks. Hershey beats Q1 expectations but dips on softer guidance outlook

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.