DailyIQ
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Sector:Consumer DefensiveAll sectors
Last updated 1 hour ago

HSY·The Hershey Company

$.
-. (-.%)
High
$196.08
Open
$196.00
Market Cap
39.51B
52W High
$239.48
Low
$194.37
P. Close
$194.78
P/E
36.11
52W Low
$150.04
Fwd P/E
19.68
Mean Target
-
Technical Score (1D)
68
BUY
News Sentiment
59
BULLISH
Hershey (HSY) has launched a limited-time collaboration with The Pokémon Company, featuring collectible Kisses and themed snack products. This initiative comes as the market evaluates HSY's valuation against recent performance, with 90-day shareholder returns having softened. Despite this short-term weakness, the company has a strong 1-year shareholder return of 27.45%. The collaboration aims to drive renewed interest and potentially boost near-term sales. Analysts are observing this move as the company's valuation is being assessed against mixed performance metrics and potential analyst target discrepancies. Investors will be watching to see if this Pokémon tie-in can re-energize growth expectations and close any perceived valuation gaps in the coming trading days.
Earnings Summary
The Hershey Company is a prominent global confectioner specializing in chocolate, non-chocolate candies, gum, mints, and snack items, operating through distinct North America Confectionery, North America Salty Snacks, and International segments. With a portfolio of iconic brands such as Hershey's and Reese's, the company leverages its extensive distribution network and strong brand recognition within the Consumer Defensive sector's Confectioners industry. In its most recent reported quarters, HSY demonstrated a pattern of exceeding analyst expectations for Earnings Per Share (EPS). For Q1 2026, the company reported an actual EPS of $2.35 against an estimate of $2.05, and revenue of $3.10 billion against an estimate of $3.03 billion. This followed a Q4 2025 where actual EPS was $1.71 versus an estimate of $1.42, with revenue at $3.09 billion against an estimate of $3.01 billion. While revenue estimates were not consistently provided for earlier quarters, the actual revenue figures for Q4 2025 and Q1 2026 indicate a positive growth trend, with EPS consistently beating estimates in these periods. Looking at the historical trajectory, HSY has shown a consistent ability to surpass EPS estimates in recent quarters, including Q4 2025 and Q1 2026, and has also met or exceeded revenue expectations in these periods. This suggests a strengthening performance trend, particularly in the most recent reporting cycles. Recent news indicates a significant strategic shift for Hershey, with plans to revert to original chocolate recipes in 2025 due to a substantial decline in cocoa bean prices, a move expected to enhance profitability. Additionally, a new limited-edition Kisses collection in collaboration with The Pokémon Company aims to drive consumer engagement. Mizuho Securities has maintained a Neutral rating but lowered its price target to $185, suggesting a cautious analyst outlook despite recent earnings beats. Investors will be watching for the impact of the recipe change on margins and consumer demand, as well as the effectiveness of new product launches and collaborations in offsetting any potential volume declines in the upcoming quarters.

EPS

EstBeatMiss
$0.80$1.24$1.68$2.11$2.55Q1'25Q2'25Q3'25Q4'25Q1'26Q2'26
QtrEstActual+/−
Q2'26$1.43 - -
Q1'26$2.05$2.35+14.7%
Q4'25$1.42$1.71+20.6%
Q3'25$1.06$1.30+22.2%
Q2'25$1.00$1.21+20.4%
Q1'25$1.93$2.09+8.0%

Revenue

EstBeatMiss
$2.5B$2.7B$2.9B$3.1B$3.3BQ1'25Q2'25Q3'25Q4'25Q1'26Q2'26
QtrEstActual+/−
Q2'26$2.7B - -
Q1'26$3.0B$3.1B+2.6%
Q4'25$3.0B$3.1B+2.7%
Q3'25 - $3.2B -
Q2'25 - $2.6B -
Q1'25 - $2.8B -
Full Earnings BreakdownEstimates, actuals, guidance, and historical context
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Market Data

HSY Stock Snapshot

HSY is currently trading at $194.44, giving The Hershey Company a market cap of 39.51B and a P/E ratio of 36.1. Today's range spans $194.37–$196.08, with shares opening at $196.00 and moving down $0.34 (0.2%) from the prior close. DailyIQ's technical score sits at 68/100 (BUY) with a news sentiment reading of 59/100.

Over the past year HSY has traded between $150.04 and $239.48 - the current price is +29.6% off the 52-week low and -18.8% from the high.

Dividend-paying Consumer Defensive stocks at the large-cap level tend to attract a different buyer mix than pure growth names - and HSY (39.51B market cap) with a BUY read (68/100) and neutral sentiment (59/100) benefits from both income-oriented and growth-oriented flows. The current P/E ratio stands at 36.1. Price: $194.44 (in the middle of its 52-week range in $150.04–$239.48). When technical momentum aligns with that dual-buyer base, the price path tends to be more durable than single-buyer-type momentum trades.

What makes HSY's BUY setup (68/100) particularly actionable at 39.51B in Consumer Defensive capitalization is the scale-to-move ratio: large enough to feature on institutional mandates but not so large that the percentage upside is already compressed by index inertia. At $194.44 (in the middle of its 52-week range in $150.04–$239.48), with sentiment running neutral at 59/100, the setup rewards conviction-sized positioning more than it does speculative small bets.

Recent News Coverage

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