Hershey Company (The) (HSY)
Consumer Staples · confectionery and snacks · NYSE
A global snacking powerhouse known for iconic confectionery and salty snack brands that has remained a staple in pantries for over a century.
What Hershey Company (The) does
The Hershey Company is a leading global snack maker focused on confectionery and salty snacks. The company manufactures and markets a diverse portfolio of chocolate, sweets, and pantry items under iconic brands, selling its products primarily through retail channels such as grocery, mass merchandise, and convenience stores.
Themes: confectionery, salty snacks, snacking convenience, consumer staples
Fundamentals
- Price$162.54 as of 2026-10-08 close
- Market cap$36.4B as of 2014-02-07 (share count; price 2026-10-08)
- 1-year return-16.9% 2025-10-08 close $195.56 → 2026-10-08 close $162.54
- P/E32.48 as of 2026-10-08
- Net margin+7.6% FY2025, SEC XBRL
- Gross margin+33.5% FY2025, SEC XBRL
- ROE+19.0% FY2025, SEC XBRL
- Debt / equity1.23 as of 2026-09-03
- Revenue growth (YoY)-12.4% as of 2026-09-03
- Revenue CAGR (3y)+3.9% SEC XBRL
- Beta0.02 as of 2026-09-03
- Last reported earnings2026-07-30 SEC EDGAR Form 8-K (Item 2.02)
Dividend: yield +3.4%; pays a dividend.
How HSY compares in its sector
- price-to-earnings ratiotop 25% 91 covered Consumer Staples peers, as of 2026-10-08
- net profit marginmiddle range 105 covered Consumer Staples peers, as of 2026-09-03
- operating marginmiddle range 98 covered Consumer Staples peers, as of 2026-09-03
- gross marginmiddle range 93 covered Consumer Staples peers, as of 2026-09-03
- return on equitymiddle range 106 covered Consumer Staples peers, as of 2026-09-03
- 3-year revenue CAGRmiddle range 109 covered Consumer Staples peers
- indicated dividend yieldmiddle range 77 covered Consumer Staples peers, as of 2026-09-03
- free cash flow (absolute dollars, latest fiscal year)top 25% 110 covered Consumer Staples peers, as of FY2025
Position among covered Consumer Staples companies that report each metric (minimum 5 peers). A relative position within our covered catalog — not a valuation, quality, or investment judgment. A higher percentile is simply a higher value (for P/E, more expensive on earnings — never "better"). Informational only.
Top 10 scores & list membership
HSY is not currently in any published Top 10 list. Its scores are below.
Top 10 score
33.3 #1312 of 1,379 scored · #61 of 65 in Consumer Staples
Profitability 62nd (return on equity 19%, operating margin 12.3%) and financial health 46th (free cash flow margin 15.6%, debt to equity 1.2); weakest is trend (17th, a strong downtrend, with sellers in control). Scored on 5 of 6 pillars — it pays a dividend, but its filings carry no per-share series to count increases from; its last annual share count is from FY2014.
Scores as of 8 Oct 2026. Each bar is a percentile: how this company ranked against every company the score ranked, 0–100. A list is a published formula and its output, not a recommendation. Method version 4.
Dividend coverage (FY2025)
Exceeded at least one reported measure. In FY2025, HSY's dividend exceeded at least one reported measure of what it earned or generated (earnings payout 123%, free-cash-flow payout 60%). A payout above 100% in one year is not necessarily unsustainable, but it is not fully covered by that measure.
- Earnings payout123% dividends / net income
- Free-cash-flow payout60% dividends / (operating cash flow − capex)
Coverage derived from reported SEC EDGAR XBRL figures for FY2025 (dividends paid vs. net income and free cash flow, same fiscal year). This describes PAST coverage for one fiscal year — it does not predict whether a dividend will be maintained, raised, or cut, and a one-year payout ratio can be distorted by non-recurring items. Informational only — not financial advice.
How Hershey Company (The) looks technically
Hershey Company (The) (HSY) is trading 14.7% below its 200-day average, the long-term trend line — a long-term downtrend. Its 50-day average crossed below its 200-day average about 84 trading days ago — a "death cross", a bearish long-term signal. A strong downtrend is in place — ADX, a 0–100 trend-strength gauge, is 38, with sellers in control. Momentum is neutral — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 38, neither overbought (above 70) nor oversold (below 30). MACD, a trend-momentum gauge, turned bullish about 1 trading day ago (its momentum flipped positive). It made a new 20-day low about 7 trading days ago. It is 4.1% above its 52-week low (its lowest price of the past year).
Trend
7
| Distance from the 200-day | it is trading 14.7% below its 200-day average, the long-term trend line — a long-term downtrend | -14.7% |
|---|---|---|
| 50-day moving average | its average price over the last 50 trading days — a short-term trend line — is $174.68 | $174.68 |
| 200-day moving average | its average price over the last 200 trading days — the long-term trend line — is $190.56 | $190.56 |
| Swing structure | its recent peaks and dips disagree — one of them is rising while the other is not, so there is no clean up or down pattern in the swings | mixed — one of the two is not confirming |
| Last swing turn | its last significant turn was a swing low 7 calendar days ago — the swings before that are what the structure reading is measured on | 7 sessions |
| Since the 50/200 cross | its 50-day average crossed below its 200-day average about 84 trading days ago — a "death cross", a bearish long-term signal | 84 sessions |
| Trend strength (14-day ADX) | a strong downtrend is in place — ADX, a 0–100 trend-strength gauge, is 38, with sellers in control | 38.0 |
Momentum
3
| 14-day RSI | momentum is neutral — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 38, neither overbought (above 70) nor oversold (below 30) | 38.2 |
|---|---|---|
| Position in its 14-day range | it is trading in the lower half of its 14-day range ($156.16 to $170.50) — its "stochastic" reading is 44 out of 100, where 0 would mean closing exactly at the 14-session low and 100 exactly at the high. This measures WHERE the price sits inside its recent range, which is a different question from the RSI beside it: RSI is a momentum gauge, measuring how FAST the price has been moving, so a stock can drift quietly to the bottom of its range with an ordinary RSI, or fall sharply and still sit in the middle. It has been climbing within that range over the last few sessions. | 44.5 |
| Since the MACD crossed zero | MACD, a trend-momentum gauge, turned bullish about 1 trading day ago (its momentum flipped positive) | 1 session |
Range
12
| 52-week high | its highest closing price over the past year (about 252 trading days) was $239.48 | $239.48 |
|---|---|---|
| From the 52-week high | it is 32.1% below its 52-week high (its highest price of the past year) | -32.1% |
| Above the 52-week low | it is 4.1% above its 52-week low (its lowest price of the past year) | +4.1% |
| Below the 52-week high | it is 32.1% below its highest point of the past year | 32.1% |
| Since a 20-day breakout | it made a new 20-day low about 7 trading days ago | 7 sessions |
| Since a 55-day breakout | it made a new 55-day low about 7 trading days ago | 7 sessions |
| All-time high | its highest closing price on record is $276.88 (set on 2023-05-01) | $276.88 |
| Given back of the 52-week move | over the past year its closes ranged ($157.61 to $236.28), and it has recovered only a small part of its fall from last year’s high — 6% of it. Chart-watchers call 61.8%-65% given back the "golden pocket" — for this company that is $206.23 to $208.75. It is watched widely enough that orders cluster there, which is the honest reason it matters; it is not a forecast. | 6.3% |
| From the all-time high | it is 41.3% below its all-time high | -41.3% |
| Nearest price level | it is trading 1.1% above a support level at $160.76 — a price it turned at three times since 2025-04-29, most recently on 2025-11-03. Since 2024-10-08 it has 2 such levels below the current price and 9 above. Levels like these describe where the price has reversed or paused before; they are not a forecast of where it will go. | -1.1% |
| All-time low | its lowest closing price on record is $30.27 (set on 2009-03-10) | $30.27 |
| Above the all-time low | it is 437.0% above its all-time low | +437.0% |
Volatility
5
| Band width vs its own 6 months | day-to-day price swings are about average versus its own recent 6-month history | 66th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Typical daily range | in a typical session it travels about $3.34 between its high and its low — about 2.1% of its price. That is its "average true range" over the last 14 sessions, which also counts the distance from the previous close, so a day that opens well away from yesterday counts as the large move it was | $3.34 |
| Bollinger bands (20-day, ±2σ) | most of its recent trading has stayed between about $156.04 and $175.16 — the "Bollinger bands", a range drawn two standard deviations either side of its 20-day average price, which widens when the stock gets more volatile and narrows when it settles | $156.04 – $165.60 – $175.16 |
| Typical daily range (% of price) | its price moves about 2.1% in a typical session — calmer than most companies we cover. This is the average gap between a session's high and low over the last 14 sessions, counting overnight moves, expressed against the current price so it can be compared with companies trading at any price | 2.1% |
| Stretch from the 200-day average | it is trading 8.4 daily ranges below its 200-day average price (14.7% below it in plain percentage terms) — a way of asking how far it has stretched from its own average in units of how far it normally moves in a day, so a calm company and a jumpy one can be compared on the same scale | 8.4 daily ranges below its 200-day average |
Volume
1
| Volume vs its 30-day average | trading volume is about normal versus its 30-day average | 1.11× |
|---|
Analyst
2
| Change in the average price target | analysts have cut their average price target by 0.7% since the prior reading | -0.7% |
|---|---|---|
| Change in the consensus rating | the analyst consensus rating is unchanged since the prior reading | unchanged |
Candlestick patterns
1
| Since a doji | 2 sessions ago it opened and closed at almost the same price after trading through a wider range — a "doji", the classic picture of buyers and sellers finishing the session level | 2 sessions ago |
|---|
Price gaps
1
| Gap at the open | it opened on 2026-10-08 0.4% above the previous session's close — an overnight gap, the part of the move that happened while the market was shut, and had not traded back through that level by the close | +0.4% |
|---|
Price streaks
1
| Closing streak | it closed higher in its latest session, after a session that did not close higher — a single up day rather than a run | 1 session up |
|---|
Relative strength
4
| vs market, 1 month | over the past 1 month this stock lagged the market by 7.2 percentage points (the stock lost 6.2% while the market gained 1.0%) | -7.2% |
|---|---|---|
| vs market, 3 months | over the past 3 months this stock lagged the market by 10.6 percentage points (the stock lost 6.8% while the market gained 3.8%) | -10.6% |
| vs market, 6 months | over the past 6 months this stock lagged the market by 39.3 percentage points (the stock lost 21.8% while the market gained 17.5%) | -39.3% |
| vs market, 12 months | over the past 12 months this stock lagged the market by 31.9 percentage points (the stock lost 16.9% while the market gained 15.0%) | -31.9% |
Signal agreement
2
| Bullish technical signals | 1 of the 9 technical signals we can compute for it is currently in a bullish state: MACD momentum is positive — these describe past price behaviour, not a forecast | 1 of 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Bearish technical signals | 5 of the 9 technical signals we can compute for it are currently in a bearish state: a "death cross" — its 50-day average is below its 200-day, trading below its 200-day average, a strong downtrend, with sellers in control, lagging the market over 6 months, trading below the Ichimoku cloud — these describe past price behaviour, not a forecast | 5 of 9 |
Trend (Ichimoku cloud)
1
| Vs the Ichimoku cloud | trading 9.3% below the Ichimoku cloud — a band drawn from where its own highs and lows sat up to 2026-09-01 and projected forward over today's price, the side traders read as an established downtrend, with the band above acting as the level that would have to be cleared. The band itself is moderate, spanning 2.0% of the share price. | -9.3% |
|---|
Volume-weighted price
2
| Vs this year’s average price paid | the price is 15% below the average price paid so far this year, so the typical buyer over that stretch is under water. That average is $191.68 — a volume-weighted average of daily closes over 190 sessions, not a true tick-by-tick VWAP. | -15.2% |
|---|---|---|
| Vs the average paid since it last reported | the price is 6% below the average price paid since it last reported on 2026-07-30 (its 10-Q), so the typical buyer over that stretch is under water. That average is $173.54 — a volume-weighted average of daily closes over 50 sessions, not a true tick-by-tick VWAP. | -6.3% |
Price levels it has turned at before
HSY last closed at $162.54 on 2026-10-08. Since 2024-10-08 it has turned at 2 prices below its last close and 9 above; the 2 nearest below and the 3 nearest above are listed, nearest first.
| Level | Side | Distance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| $160.76 | Support | 1.1% below the last close | turned there three times · 2025-04-29 to 2025-11-03 |
| $165.10 | Resistance | 1.6% above the last close | turned there three times · 2024-12-23 to 2025-06-30 |
| $168.24 | Resistance | 3.5% above the last close | turned there three times · 2024-11-19 to 2026-07-20 |
| $156.27 | Support | 3.9% below the last close | turned there three times · 2025-01-27 to 2026-10-01 |
| $172.87 | Resistance | 6.4% above the last close | turned there 8 times · 2024-11-07 to 2026-08-04 |
A level is a price this company reversed or paused at more than once — they describe past behaviour, not a forecast of where the price will go.
Wave structure
No Elliott-wave labelling currently fits its swings: the recent highs and lows do not satisfy the three rules a five-wave count has to obey, so there is no count to show rather than a count we are unsure about.
Read from daily closes as of 2026-10-08.
An Elliott-wave count describes the swings already printed and the level that would disprove it. It is not a forecast, a target, or advice.
Screens: Trading below the 200-day moving average · Pulled back from the 12-month high · MACD just crossed bullish (12/26/9) · lagging the market · Stretched far below its 200-day average (6+ daily ranges) · Under water since its last earnings report (below the anchored VWAP) | Learn: moving average · golden cross · adx · rsi · macd · breakout · fifty two week high low
Based on daily closing prices as of 2026-10-08. Describes past price behavior only — informational, not financial advice.
Analyst consensus
- Consensus ratingBuy (2.48 mean, 1=Strong Buy…5=Strong Sell) — 21 analysts
- Mean price target$203.14 range $170.00 – $250.00; median $200.00
Analyst estimates, as of 2026-10-09. These are third-party analyst opinions and price targets, aggregated — not a recommendation, prediction, or advice from stocks-llm. Informational only.
Analyst EPS estimate for HSY
- Consensus EPS estimate$2.12 next reporting period, as of 2026-10-09
- Estimate change, 30 days-$0.00272 (-0.1%) from $2.12, on 2026-09-04, 35-day window
- Readings revised upward0% of 8 comparable readings
The consensus estimate for the next reporting period, and how it has moved between readings of that SAME period. A change is measured only between readings estimating one period — when a company reports, the consensus moves to the next quarter and the two numbers are not comparable. Informational only, not a forecast and not advice.
Key risks (from latest filing)
["Fluctuations in the cost and availability of raw materials, particularly cocoa and sugar.","Sensitivity to changes in consumer preferences and nutritional trends.","Intense competition and the requirement for significant marketing investment to maintain brand equity."]
What changed in the latest 10-Q
AI-assisted comparison of HSY's 10-Q filed 2026-04-30 against the prior one filed 2025-10-30.
Management's Discussion & Analysis (MD&A)
- Added:
- Newer filing (2026-04-30) specifies quarterly period ended March 29, 2026 instead of September 28, 2025
- Newer filing references 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K instead of 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K
- Newer filing states brand count as 'more than 85 brand names' instead of 'more than 90 brand names'
- Newer filing states country count as 'approximately 65 countries' instead of 'approximately 70 countries'
- Newer filing adds that LesserEvil acquisition was 'completed on November 18, 2025' with specific completion date and states it 'increases manufacturing capacity'
- Newer filing adds discussion of International Emergency Economic Powers Act ruling on February 20, 2026 regarding tariff authority and refund considerations
- Newer filing adds reference to conflict in the Middle East as geopolitical event with specific monitoring language
- Newer filing adds Q1 2026 vs Q1 2025 comparison metrics: Net sales $3,104.2M vs $2,805.4M (10.6% increase), showing 10% price realization and 2% LesserEvil contribution
- Newer filing adds U.S. retail takeaway metrics showing 9.3% increase in MULO+ with Convenience channels and 8.1% CMG consumer takeaway increase
- Removed:
- Older filing (2025-10-30) mentions Merger Agreement entered March 31, 2025 with expectation of closure by end of 2025 pending Hart-Scott-Rodino approval - removed in newer filing
- Older filing mentions November 8, 2024 acquisition of Sour Strips brand from Actual Candy, LLC - not mentioned in newer filing
- Older filing discusses leadership changes at FDA and Make America Healthy Again movement as regulatory drivers - removed in newer filing
- Older filing discusses FDA announcement in April 2025 about phasing out petroleum-based synthetic dyes and company's decision to remove certified Food, Drug & Cosmetic colors by end of 2027 - removed in newer filing
- Older filing references 'possibility of a recession' in macroeconomic impacts - not in newer filing
- Older filing presents nine-month comparison data for nine months ended September 28, 2025 and September 29, 2024 - not present in newer quarterly filing
- Reworded:
- Newer filing states 'cocoa products, which has continued to improve during the first three months of 2026' versus older filing's 'cocoa products, which continued to experience elevated market prices compared to historical levels'
- Newer filing changes from 'ongoing negotiations related to tariffs' to 'ongoing regulations related to tariffs' with reference to specific February 20, 2026 ruling
- Newer filing changes macroeconomic impacts discussion from 'changes in geopolitical events, including the imposition of tariffs and retaliatory tariffs' to include 'the conflict in the Middle East' as separate identified geopolitical event
- Newer filing adds 'positive consumer sentiment for our brands' whereas older filing stated 'positive changes in consumer behavior, and price inelasticity'
- Newer filing characterizes costs as 'higher manufacturing and supply costs' versus older filing's 'increasing inflationary pressures, including ongoing price volatility for select commodities and higher manufacturing costs'
- Notes:
- The two filings cover different reporting periods (Q1 2026 vs Q3 2025) with different comparison years, limiting direct comparability of operational results sections
- Older filing excerpt appears truncated at 'Effective income tax rate' line, preventing full comparison of financial data table
- The newer filing discusses relatively recent developments (February 20, 2026 tariff ruling, Middle East conflict monitoring) that did not exist in the older filing period
AI-assisted comparison of two SEC filing sections. It describes wording and theme changes only, makes no materiality, legal, or investment judgement, and is not financial advice. Informational only — not financial advice.
Insider activity (SEC Form 4)
0 open-market purchases and 268 open-market sales by insiders in the last 90 days, of which we have read Form 4 filings through 2026-10-04. The 5 days since 2026-10-04 have not been checked yet.
- Last 30 days · read to 2026-10-040 buys · 79 sells ($33M) — 1 selling insider
- Last 90 days · read to 2026-10-040 buys · 268 sells ($109M) — 3 selling insiders
- Last 180 days · read to 2026-10-040 buys · 601 sells ($225M) — 4 selling insiders
Activity heuristic: net selling (a transparent product heuristic from the counts above, not a prediction or advice)
Most recent open-market transaction: 2026-10-07. Based on Form 4 filings read through 2026-10-04; anything filed since is not yet included.
View full insider trading history → View SEC Form 3/4/5 filingsAsk about HSY's insider activity →
Only open-market purchases (SEC code P) and sales (code S) are counted here. Option exercises, vesting/awards, gifts, and shares withheld for taxes are excluded — they are compensation or mechanical, not open-market conviction. Sales may be planned and non-discretionary (e.g. a Rule 10b5-1 plan) and are not necessarily bearish; open-market buying is not a recommendation to buy. Informational only — not financial advice.
U.S. House trading disclosures
U.S. House members publicly disclose their own, their spouse's, and dependent children's stock transactions under the STOCK Act. We hold 15 matched disclosures for HSY from U.S. House Clerk Periodic Transaction Report filings.
U.S. House trading disclosures →Institutional ownership (13F)
5 institutional 13F filers reported holding HSY as of 2026-06-30 (quarter-end position, filed within 45 days).
- Distinct 13F filers 5
- Reported shares held 24,767,637
- Reported value $4,345,481,892
reported quarterly holdings change (2026-03-31 → 2026-06-30): 0 new, 3 increased, 2 decreased, 1 exited. Change counts cover only managers that filed 13F reports in BOTH quarters, derived between two quarter-end snapshots — not same-day trades; a single manager is never said to have "bought" or "sold".
Institutional holdings are quarter-end long positions reported on SEC Form 13F-HR, filed up to 45 days after the quarter ends — they are delayed, are not real-time trades, exclude short positions and most non-US securities, and are not investment advice. Any increase/decrease is a reported change between two quarterly snapshots, not a same-day purchase or sale. These are quarter-end snapshots from the 13F filings on SEC EDGAR, filed within 45 days — not real-time, and any change is a difference between two quarterly reports, not a same-day trade. Informational only — not financial advice.
Ask about HSY's institutional holders → See what each manager we track holds →
Short interest (FINRA)
HSY had 9,178,157 shares of reported short interest as of the 2026-09-15 FINRA settlement date (delayed, bi-monthly; not real-time).
Short interest as a percent of shares outstanding is not shown for HSY because the newest share count we hold predates that settlement by more than 180 days, and a buyback or issuance in between would move the base. The reported figures above are unaffected.
- Reported short interest (shares) 9,178,157
- Prior settlement (shares) 9,139,522
- Reported change 0.42%
- Days to cover (reported) 6.78
Reported to FINRA as of the 2026-09-15 settlement date. Short interest is reported to FINRA and published on a delayed, bi-monthly schedule (as of a settlement date, disseminated roughly eight business days later) — it is NOT real-time, does not cover every venue or all US trading, and is not a short-squeeze prediction or investment advice. Days-to-cover is the value FINRA reports; percent of float is not shown because the source file carries no share-count denominator — where a percent appears it is of shares OUTSTANDING, the larger base, and is therefore a floor on percent of float. Informational only — not financial advice.
Competitors & peers
- Mondelez International (MDLZ)
- Mars, Incorporated
- Nestlé S.A. (NSRGY)
- Ferrero Group
- Lindt & Sprüngli
AI-enriched competitor set. Linked names are companies covered by stocks-llm; other named peers are shown for reference only.
Compare HSY vs…
Hershey Company (The) is found in…
HSY shows up in…
Frequently asked questions
What does Hershey Company (The) (HSY) do?
The Hershey Company is a leading global snack maker focused on confectionery and salty snacks. The company manufactures and markets a diverse portfolio of chocolate, sweets, and pantry items under iconic brands, selling its products primarily through retail channels such as grocery, mass merchandise, and convenience stores.
What sector is Hershey Company (The) (HSY) in?
Hershey Company (The) (HSY) is classified in the Consumer Staples sector. Its industry is confectionery and snacks. It trades on NYSE.
Does HSY pay a dividend?
Yes — Hershey Company (The) (HSY) pays a dividend, with an indicated yield of about 3.42% (market data, as of 2026-09-03). Informational only — not financial advice.
Who are Hershey Company (The)'s (HSY) competitors?
Notable peers of Hershey Company (The) (HSY) include Mondelez International, Mars, Incorporated, Nestlé S.A., Ferrero Group and Lindt & Sprüngli. This peer set is informational only — not financial advice.
Has there been recent U.S. House stock trading in HSY?
Yes — we hold 15 matched STOCK Act disclosures for HSY from U.S. House Clerk Periodic Transaction Report filings. These are legally-required disclosures (often filed 30–45 days after the trade), may belong to a U.S. House member, their spouse, or a dependent child, and are not an indicator of company performance or investment advice.
Is Hershey Company (The) (HSY) overbought or oversold right now?
Hershey Company (The) (HSY) is currently neither overbought nor oversold — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 38, in the neutral middle (as of 2026-10-08). RSI describes recent price momentum, not a forecast — informational only, not financial advice.
Where does stocks-llm's data on HSY come from?
Fundamentals come from SEC XBRL company filings for the figures marked with a fiscal year, and market data, as of 2026-09-03 for the rest; prices are market data, as of 2026-09-03; company filings and profile facts come from SEC EDGAR. All figures are delayed daily-close data shown with their as-of date — informational only, not financial advice.
Fundamentals: SEC XBRL company filings for the figures marked with a fiscal year, and market data, as of 2026-09-03 for the rest. Filings: SEC EDGAR. Prices are delayed daily-close data.
Last updated 2026-10-08.
Informational only — NOT financial advice. All figures are delayed daily-close data from SEC EDGAR & market data, shown with their as-of date.