Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Earns “Sector Perform” Rating from Royal Bank Of Canada

Hershey (NYSE:HSY)‘s stock had its “sector perform” rating restated by Royal Bank Of Canada in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $185.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s price objective would indicate a potential downside of 10.14% from the company’s current price.

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on shares of Hershey from $185.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $182.00 price objective on Hershey and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Argus upgraded Hershey to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hershey in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on Hershey from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and fifteen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $197.56.

Hershey Price Performance

HSY stock opened at $205.88 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The company has a market capitalization of $41.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.77 and a beta of 0.18. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $188.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $185.26. Hershey has a twelve month low of $140.13 and a twelve month high of $205.96.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Hershey news, insider Stacy Taffet bought 200 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The stock was bought at an average price of $186.19 per share, with a total value of $37,238.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider owned 9,371 shares in the company, valued at $1,744,786.49. The trade was a 2.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the company’s 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 transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 52,319 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,394,215.73. This trade represents a 2.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 6,000 shares of company stock worth $1,119,450. 0.34% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HSY. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Hershey by 6.5% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,310 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,618,000 after acquiring an additional 937 shares during the period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. boosted its position in Hershey by 11.2% during the second quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 8,412 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,396,000 after purchasing an additional 850 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey in the second quarter valued at $128,000. Merit Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of Hershey by 14.2% in the second quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 31,796 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,276,000 after buying an additional 3,952 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mraz Amerine & Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the 2nd quarter worth $517,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson raised its price target on HSY to $207, providing near-term upside support from a reputable analyst and likely contributing to buying interest. DA Davidson Raises Hershey Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies published a bullish forecast for strong price appreciation for Hershey, reinforcing positive sentiment among growth/value investors ahead of earnings. Jefferies Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation
• Positive Sentiment: Hershey rolled out an Easter product lineup (new Jolly Rancher Gummies Fruity Mix plus expanded Cadbury and Reese’s seasonal SKUs), a seasonal push that could lift near-term sales and margins if consumer response is strong. Hershey Easter Collection Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Market previews note Hershey reports earnings tomorrow; expectations and guidance will likely drive intraday volatility as investors focus on pricing, margins and international performance. Hershey Earnings Preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Benzinga’s earnings outlook summarizes analyst expectations and scenarios for HSY’s upcoming report — useful for gauging whether results could beat or miss consensus. Earnings Outlook For Hershey
• Neutral Sentiment: An overview of Hershey’s role in consumer staples and the S&P 500 underscores its defensive profile—important context for portfolio positioning but not an immediate price mover. Hershey Presence in S&P 500
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks highlights sector-wide margin strain and inflation-weary consumers; such headwinds could pressure Hershey’s margins and weigh on forward guidance if cost pass-through is limited. Consumer Staples Earnings to Watch
• Negative Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating with a $185 price target, signaling downside risk relative to current levels and reminding investors that disappointment in results/guidance could prompt selling. RBC Reaffirms Sector Perform

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.