TICKERNERD
Menu
HSYHSYConsumer Defensive · Confectioners

HSY Stock Forecast: The Hershey Co. Price Predictions for 2026-2027

Last close, 14 Oct 2026
$164
+0.74% on the day

The 23 Wall Street analysts covering The Hershey Co. hold a median 12-month price target of $198 — +20.5% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 79 of 100 as at 14 Oct 2026 — inside the top quartile. Here, the model and the Street point the same way.

Market cap
$32.8B
Ticker Nerd rank
79 / 100
Median analyst target
$198
Analysts covering
23
Revenue$2.8B+6.6% y/y
Operating income$642.8M
Net income$457.7M
Free cash flow$329.5M
Quarterly, 8 quarters to 30 June 2026 · latest quarter's figure shown
Total return, dividends reinvested
1W
+2.4%
1M
−5.4%
YTD
−7.7%
1Y
−10.7%
From 52W high
−29.4%
From 52W low
+4.2%
$158
$233
52-week range, adjusted closes · the dot is the last close
Ticker Nerd rank

HSY stock analysis: one number for the whole business

Consensus tells you what everyone already believes. The model scores The Hershey Co. on its factor families — the same systematic rank behind the Ticker Nerd portfolio.

Where the model ranks itAs at 14 Oct 2026
79 / 100

Percentile across ~4,600 US stocks on Ticker Nerd’s systematic factor model. Higher is better. How the model is built and tested

Issuance
86
Volatility
84
Accruals
73
Quality
73
Revisions
73
Growth
66
Momentum
56
Value
55
Size
7

Issuance (86): The share count has been shrinking and the company is not leaning on new borrowing.

Value (55): The shares cost a lot relative to the profits and assets behind them.

Size (7): Larger than most of the companies we track — more scrutinised, less often mispriced.

Built and run by Aslam Ghouse, an ex-Goldman Sachs quant trader with fourteen years in markets.

Wall Street

HSY stock forecast 2026-2027: analyst price targets & predictions

The bullish and bearish analyst opinions on HSY, reported as data — targets and ratings, the market's view beside the model's.

Share price and the analyst range, 12 monthsAdjusted close, US dollars
$160$180$200$220$240$260Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26Oct 26HSYHigh $250Median $198Low $170

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Data provided by Twelve Data

What Wall Street says23 analysts
8 Buy14 Hold1 Sell
Low $170Median $198High $250

The green dot is the last close — the median target sits +20.5% from it.

Recent analyst actionsNewest first

Of the 20 most recent actions, 2 moved their price target up and 9 moved it down.

DateFirmActionRatingTarget
13 Oct 2026TD CowenMaintainsBuy$210 → $198
5 Oct 2026Wells FargoMaintainsEqual-Weight$190 → $170
21 Aug 2026RBC CapitalMaintainsSector Perform—
21 Aug 2026RBC CapitalMaintainsSector Perform$212 → $206
3 Aug 2026BarclaysMaintainsEqual-Weight—
3 Aug 2026BarclaysMaintainsEqual-Weight$208 → $200
31 July 2026JP MorganMaintainsNeutral$191 → $193
31 July 2026JP MorganMaintainsNeutral—
31 July 2026UBSMaintainsNeutral$190 → $198
31 July 2026UBSMaintainsNeutral—
31 July 2026Wells FargoMaintainsEqual-Weight—
31 July 2026Wells FargoMaintainsEqual-Weight$200 → $190
23 July 2026Evercore ISI GroupMaintainsOutperform—
23 July 2026Evercore ISI GroupMaintainsOutperform$255 → $225
22 July 2026StifelMaintainsHold—
22 July 2026StifelMaintainsHold$215 → $180
21 July 2026BarclaysMaintainsEqual-Weight—
21 July 2026BarclaysMaintainsEqual-Weight$220 → $208
16 July 2026UBSMaintainsNeutral—
16 July 2026UBSMaintainsNeutral$200 → $190

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Market Radar

This page is one stock. Monday covers all of them.

Computed off the Friday close and sent before the US open.

Market Radar reports the week’s largest rank changes across roughly 4,600 US stocks, the factor behind each one, and where the market went. HSY appears on the weeks it earns a place.

Free, every Monday. Unsubscribe any time.

Performance

HSY vs the S&P 500

Both lines are total return — dividends reinvested — so the comparison is honest on both sides.

Over the twelve months to 14 Oct 2026, The Hershey Co. returned −10.7% against +17.5% for the S&P 500, dividends included.

HSY vs S&P 500, last 12 monthsTotal return, rebased to 100
90100110120130Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26Oct 26HSYS&P 500

Download this chart as an image — free to reuse; link this page as the source.

Data provided by Twelve Data

Estimates

HSY analyst estimate revisions

Not the forecast itself — the direction analysts are revising it. Revision direction is one of the model's factor families.

Which way the estimates are movingNext fiscal year
EPS revision, 90 days
+0.7%
Analysts raising
0
Analysts cutting
1
Fundamentals

The Hershey Co. (HSY) financial data

A margin means little on its own. Each bar marks where the figure sits across the whole US universe we score.

Valuation
Trailing P/E
22.3×

Cheaper than 34% of US stocks

Price / sales
2.7×

Cheaper than 44% of US stocks

Price / book
7.2×

Cheaper than 13% of US stocks

EV / EBITDA
14.0×

Cheaper than 25% of US stocks

Growth & margins
Revenue growth (YoY)
6.6%

Higher than 43% of US stocks

Earnings growth (YoY)
629.7%

Higher than 96% of US stocks

Gross margin
45.3%

Higher than 56% of US stocks

Operating margin
23.1%

Higher than 82% of US stocks

Net margin
12.2%

Higher than 74% of US stocks

Returns & dividend
Return on equity
32.8%

Higher than 89% of US stocks

Return on assets
9.9%

Higher than 92% of US stocks

Dividend yield
3.6%

Higher than 89% of US dividend payers

Bars mark the percentile across the ~4,600 US stocks Ticker Nerd covers, among those reporting the figure.

Key statistics

The Hershey Co. (HSY) statistics: revenue, profit & scale

The headline figures, each with its date. Every row carries its own link — cite it straight from here.

  • The Hershey Co. has a market value of $32.8B and an enterprise value of $38.1B.

  • Revenue in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $12.2B. The latest quarter grew 6.6% year on year.

  • Net income over the same four quarters: $1.5B, a 12.2% net margin.

  • Diluted earnings per share, trailing twelve months: $7.32.

  • Free cash flow in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $2.2B, after $428.4M of capital spending.

  • The Hershey Co. spent $439.4M on share buybacks and $1.1B on dividends in the twelve months to 30 June 2026.

  • Shares outstanding: 200.9M.

  • Trailing P/E: 22.3×; forward P/E: 16.6× — the forward figure prices analyst consensus estimates, not reported earnings.

  • Forward dividend yield: 3.56%, paying out 77% of earnings.

  • The Hershey Co. employs 17,550 people — $693K of revenue per employee.

Statement figures: company filings via Twelve Data, four quarters to 30 June 2026 · market figures as at 15 Oct 2026

Data provided by Twelve Data

Peers

HSY vs competitors

The nearest names by industry and size, scored by the same model — like for like.

Its peer group, ranked by the same modelConfectioners
CompanyMarket capTKN rank
HSYThe Hershey Co.$32.8B
79
MDLZMondelez International, Inc.$80.7B
59
TRTootsie Roll Industries, Inc.$2.9B
42
KMBKimberly-Clark Corp.*$33.0B
63
KVUEKenvue, Inc.*$34.6B
67
ELThe Estée Lauder Companies, Inc.*$35.5B
88
KRThe Kroger Co.*$38.6B
85

* Nearest Consumer Defensive names by size — few confectioners companies of this scale trade in the US universe.

Look up any of the roughly 4,600 stocks we score.

The rank is the raw material. Whether the rules would actually own The Hershey Co. — and when they’d sell — is the membership. See the Ticker Nerd 20 →

News

Latest HSY news & analysis

Hershey's Dip Buying Opportunity Is Here - Demand/Margin Risks Entering H2'26 (Rating Upgrade)

Seeking Alpha · 14 Oct 2026positive

A Seeking Alpha article upgraded Hershey, describing potential H2'26 margin pressure from innovation and marketing efforts and freight costs, alongside commodity inflation and softer demand. It says these risks are reflected in the company's valuation metrics and higher forward dividend yield after a selloff.

Why it matters — HSY watchers may want to weigh possible margin and demand headwinds against the valuation and dividend-yield rationale presented in the article.

4 Low-Beta Defensive Stocks to Grab on Declining Consumer Sentiment

Zacks Investment Research · 12 Oct 2026positive

Zacks Investment Research highlighted ADM, DOLE, DEO and HSY as low-beta defensive stocks amid declining consumer sentiment and inflation fears, citing earnings growth potential and dividend yields.

Why it matters — HSY is included among the defensive stocks the article says may be relevant as consumer sentiment declines and inflation fears rise.

Top 50 High-Quality Dividend Growth Stocks For October 2026

Seeking Alpha · 11 Oct 2026neutral

Seeking Alpha tracks 50 high-quality dividend growth stocks for October 2026, assessing valuation and future return potential. Applied Materials, D.R. Horton, and Home Depot improved in the rankings; the excerpt says 44 stocks have forward return estimates of at least 10% and 32 appear potentially undervalued by free cash flow mean reversion.

Why it matters — The item describes a broad dividend-growth stock ranking, but the excerpt provides no specific assessment or ranking information about Hershey.

Hershey to Webcast Third-Quarter Conference Call

PRNewsWire · 9 Oct 2026neutral

The Hershey Company announced it will release its third-quarter sales and earnings results on Thursday, October 29, 2026, and hold a conference call with analysts at 8:30 a.m.

Why it matters — HSY watchers can note when the company plans to report its quarterly results and discuss them with analysts.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about HSY stock

What is the HSY stock price forecast for 2026-2027?

The 23 Wall Street analysts covering The Hershey Co. have a median 12-month price target of $198, with estimates ranging from $170 to $250. These are third-party analyst estimates, not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Is HSY stock a buy right now?

Of the 23 analysts covering The Hershey Co., 8 rate it a Buy, 14 a Hold and 1 a Sell. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model ranks The Hershey Co. 79 out of 100 across roughly 4,600 US stocks as at 14 Oct 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.

How does Ticker Nerd's model rank HSY?

As at 14 Oct 2026, The Hershey Co. ranks 79 out of 100 on Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model — a percentile across roughly 4,600 US stocks, built from its factor families. Its strongest factor family is Issuance (86 of 100).

Will HSY stock go up?

No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 23 analysts implies +20.5% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks The Hershey Co. 79 out of 100 as at 14 Oct 2026. Analyst targets are third-party estimates and frequently wrong; none of this is personal advice.

What is the HSY stock forecast for 2030?

No analyst covering The Hershey Co. publishes a 2030 price target — Wall Street targets run 12 to 18 months out. Sites quoting a 2030 price for HSY are extrapolating price history, which says nothing about the business. The furthest attributed numbers are the current analyst targets: $170 to $250 over the next 12 months.

How has HSY stock performed over the past year?

The Hershey Co. returned -10.7% over the 12 months to 14 Oct 2026, with dividends reinvested. Past performance does not indicate future returns.

What does The Hershey Co. do?

The Hershey Company Common Stock represents ownership in The Hershey Company, a leading consumer packaged goods business focused on confectionery and snack foods. The company develops, manufactures, and markets a broad portfolio of chocolate and other confectionery products, along with salty snacks and related treats for everyday consumption.

What is the latest news on HSY?

The most recent item we track (Seeking Alpha, 14 Oct 2026): "Hershey's Dip Buying Opportunity Is Here - Demand/Margin Risks Entering H2'26 (Rating Upgrade)". A Seeking Alpha article upgraded Hershey, describing potential H2'26 margin pressure from innovation and marketing efforts and freight costs, alongside commodity inflation and softer demand. It says these risks are reflected in the company's valuation metrics and higher forward dividend yield after a selloff.

Company

About The Hershey Co.

The Hershey Company Common Stock represents ownership in The Hershey Company, a leading consumer packaged goods business focused on confectionery and snack foods. The company develops, manufactures, and markets a broad portfolio of chocolate and other confectionery products, along with salty snacks and related treats for everyday consumption. Its products are sold through grocery, convenience, mass retail, club, drug, and specialty channels, making it an important participant in the global packaged food market. The Hershey Company operates through North America Confectionery, North America Salty Snacks, and International segments, reflecting its mix of branded sweets, snack offerings, and overseas distribution. Headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania, The Hershey Company remains recognized for its portfolio of widely known household brands and its role in branded snacking and confectionery distribution.

CEO Mr. Kirk C. Tanner · 17,550 employees · United States · https://www.thehersheycompany.com