Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Issues Earnings Results

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $2.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.11 by $0.53, Zacks reports. The company had revenue of $3.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.25 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 14.63% and a return on equity of 37.12%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.30 earnings per share.

Here are the key takeaways from Hershey’s conference call:

• Management maintained its expectation for 2027 sales growth of 2%–4%, supported by low-single-digit carryover pricing, stronger programming and a pipeline of innovation that is expected to be 50% larger than in 2026.
• Hershey continues to face market-share pressure from aggressive competitor innovation and a cautious consumer; convenience-store category sales were down about 5% in September and October, while difficult comparisons for Reese’s Oreo are expected to weigh on fourth-quarter results.
• The company said its low-double-digit 2027 EPS framework remains possible but would require improvement in freight, logistics, commodity costs, productivity returns and consumer demand; deterioration in those areas could push results below the prior framework.
• Unit and volume trends are improving as pricing moderates, with better momentum across Hershey’s, KIT KAT, Cadbury and Kisses; brand investment will remain elevated, with management citing an 8% improvement in marketing return on investment.
• The salty-snacks business is expected to become a larger top- and bottom-line contributor in 2027 as new manufacturing capacity and automation come online, although current demand still exceeds supply and service levels have not fully recovered.

Hershey Stock Performance

NYSE:HSY traded up $5.57 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $165.85. 2,261,559 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,562,941. Hershey has a 1-year low of $156.16 and a 1-year high of $239.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.10. The company has a 50-day moving average of $169.68 and a 200 day moving average of $189.03.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be given a $1.4520 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $5.81 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.5%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is 65.61%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on HSY shares. DA Davidson set a $170.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $201.00 price objective (down from $208.00) on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Evercore raised their price objective on Hershey from $210.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on Hershey from $200.00 to $178.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 16th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $195.24.

Key Hershey News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Hershey reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $2.64 per share, well above the roughly $2.11–$2.12 consensus estimate, while revenue of $3.28 billion also exceeded expectations and rose 3% year over year. Hershey Reports Third-Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Pricing gains, cost relief and tariff refunds drove a sharp increase in quarterly profit, prompting Hershey to raise its 2026 earnings outlook. The stronger results provide support for the stock despite volume weakness. HSY Q3 Earnings Top Estimates on Cost Relief and Pricing Gains
• Positive Sentiment: Management maintained its 2027 sales-growth target of 2% to 4% and highlighted a substantially larger innovation pipeline and productivity initiatives as longer-term growth drivers. Hershey Targets 2027 Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.452 per common share, equivalent to $5.81 annually and a yield of approximately 3.6%, supporting the income-investment case. Hershey Declares Quarterly Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: Some market commentary characterizes HSY as a long-term momentum stock, but these assessments are based largely on quantitative ranking factors rather than a new fundamental catalyst. Why Hershey Is a Top Momentum Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Hershey reduced its 2026 organic-sales outlook as high prices, inflation, interest rates and gasoline costs pressure shoppers. Convenience-store candy sales fell 5% in September, and management said the final days of Halloween are critical. Hershey Warns Financial Pressures Could Weigh on Halloween Spending
• Negative Sentiment: Higher cocoa and sugar costs are creating margin risk, while consumers are trading down to smaller candy packages. TD Cowen downgraded HSY to “hold” and cut its price target to $173 from $198; BNP Paribas Exane also reduced its target. Halloween Gets Pricier as Chocolate Costs Rise

About Hershey

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is a global confectionery and snack food manufacturer headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Founded by Milton S. Hershey in 1894, the company began as a chocolate producer and has grown into one of the largest branded snack businesses in North America.

Hershey’s portfolio includes chocolate, non-chocolate confectionery, gum and mints, and salty snacks. Its brands include Hershey’s, Reese’s, Hershey’s Kisses, Kit Kat in the United States under license from Nestlé, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, SkinnyPop and Dot’s Pretzels.