UBS Group Lowers Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Price Target to $215.00

01 Apr 2026, 15:58 by Tristan Rich · The Markets Daily

Hershey (NYSE:HSY – Get Free Report) had its target price lowered by UBS Group from $236.00 to $215.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. UBS Group’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 4.89% from the stock’s previous close.

HSY has been the subject of several other reports. Barclays increased their price objective on Hershey from $210.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $250.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Hershey from $182.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Hershey from $185.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $222.21.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Hershey

Hershey Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of HSY stock traded down $2.92 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $204.97. 665,768 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,000,167. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $216.04 and its 200 day simple moving average is $195.82. Hershey has a twelve month low of $150.04 and a twelve month high of $239.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.24, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.14. 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 – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $3.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.97 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 7.55% and a return on equity of 27.90%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.69 EPS. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Hershey will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total transaction of $452,140.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 41,036 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,277,008.52. This represents a 4.65% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $216.71, for a total value of $325,065.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 59,869 shares in the company, valued at $12,974,210.99. The trade was a 2.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 10,000 shares of company stock valued at $2,195,945. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Hershey

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of HSY. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in 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. Choreo LLC lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 1,708 shares of the company’s stock worth $283,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in Hershey during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings in Hershey by 4.1% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 21,168 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,513,000 after buying an additional 828 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its holdings in Hershey by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 78,518 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,030,000 after buying an additional 1,603 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Hershey

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

Positive Sentiment: Management unveiled a strategic pivot to “Lead Next Generation Snacking,” emphasizing expansion into salty snacks, functional/better‑for‑you products and supply‑chain modernization — a diversification intended to drive long‑term revenue and margin expansion. Hershey Unveils Strategy to Lead Next Generation Snacking at 2026 Investor Day
Positive Sentiment: Senior exec Stacy Taffet discussed concrete next‑wave growth initiatives on NYSE Live, giving investors additional color on product roadmaps and execution plans that could support top‑line acceleration if implemented successfully. Hershey Exec Stacy Taffet Shares Details on Company’s Next Wave of Growth
Positive Sentiment: Brand and marketing activations (e.g., Shaq‑A‑Licious NCAA tie‑ins) and participation in new ad‑tech pilots signal continued investment in consumer reach and innovation that can support SKU rollouts in adjacent snacking categories. Shaq Is Back! Shaq-A-Licious SLAMS, A Slam Dunk Gummy Candy Brings Big Flavor to Final Four Weekend Kargo Launches Closed Beta of Project KERA (mentions Hershey)
Neutral Sentiment: The full Investor Day transcript is available for detailed modeling; it gives line‑by‑line guidance and assumptions but does not itself move short‑term fundamentals until results or updated guidance follow. The Hershey Company (HSY) Analyst/Investor Day Transcript
Neutral Sentiment: Trading was briefly halted for HSY for “news pending” ahead of the Investor Day — indicates material company communication but is procedural and not inherently bullish or bearish.
Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank cut its price target and lowered expectations (now a “hold”), citing the need for clearer near‑term execution and returns from the growth investments — analyst downgrades can pressure the stock and weigh on sentiment. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Has Lowered Expectations for Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Stock Price
Negative Sentiment: Market coverage noted an intraday/close pullback as investors digested the event and the analyst reaction; near‑term volatility may persist until management demonstrates execution or issues updated near‑term guidance. Hershey (HSY) Stock Dips While Market Gains: Key Facts

About Hershey

(Get Free Report)

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.