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Hershey (HSY) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Hershey logo
$170.26 +1.32 (+0.78%)
(As of 12/20/2024 05:31 PM ET)

Hershey - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2025)

MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.

Consensus Rating

Sell
6
Hold
13
Buy
0

Based on 19 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Hershey in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Reduce." Out of the 19 analysts, 6 have given a sell rating, and 13 have given a hold rating for HSY.

Consensus Price Target

$185.17
8.76% Upside
According to the 19 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Hershey, the average price target is $185.17. The highest price target for HSY is $225.00, while the lowest price target for HSY is $160.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 8.76% from the current price of $170.26.
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HSY Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
12/22/23 to 12/21/24
1 Month Ago
11/22/23 to 11/21/24
3 Months Ago
9/23/23 to 9/22/24
1 Year Ago
12/22/22 to 12/22/23
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
3 Buy rating(s)
6 Buy rating(s)
Hold
13 Hold rating(s)
14 Hold rating(s)
14 Hold rating(s)
12 Hold rating(s)
Sell
6 Sell rating(s)
5 Sell rating(s)
3 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$185.17$189.33$203.21$239.81
Forecasted Upside8.76% Upside8.28% Upside3.98% Upside31.39% Upside
Consensus Rating
Reduce
Reduce
Hold
Hold

HSY Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
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HSY Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
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Hershey Stock vs. The Competition

TypeHersheyConsumer Staples CompaniesS&P 500
Consensus Rating Score
1.68
2.50
2.51
Consensus RatingReduceHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside8.76% Upside46.09% Upside14.54% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent HSY News
Positive News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalyst NameActionRatingPrice TargetUpside/Downside on Report DateDetails
12/12/2024Bank of America
3 of 5 stars
 Reiterated RatingNeutral$180.00+1.61%
12/12/2024Wells Fargo & Company
3 of 5 stars
C. Carey
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DowngradeEqual Weight ➝ Underweight$175.00 ➝ $160.00-9.68%
12/10/2024Royal Bank of Canada
4 of 5 stars
 Reiterated RatingSector Perform ➝ Sector Perform$183.00 ➝ $183.00-4.32%
12/9/2024Mizuho
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 Lower TargetNeutral ➝ Neutral$200.00 ➝ $180.00+2.97%
11/11/2024Barclays
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 Lower TargetEqual Weight ➝ Equal Weight$202.00 ➝ $180.00+0.55%
11/8/2024Piper Sandler
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 Boost TargetNeutral ➝ Neutral$165.00 ➝ $168.00-2.96%
10/31/2024Jefferies Financial Group
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 Lower TargetUnderperform ➝ Underperform$163.00 ➝ $161.00-9.75%
10/25/2024Stifel Nicolaus
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 Lower TargetHold ➝ Hold$195.00 ➝ $180.00-1.21%
10/22/2024Redburn Atlantic
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B. Zhu
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Initiated CoverageSell$165.00-10.70%
10/14/2024JPMorgan Chase & Co.
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 Lower TargetNeutral ➝ Neutral$188.00 ➝ $180.00-3.05%
10/7/2024UBS Group
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P. Grom
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DowngradeBuy ➝ Neutral$226.00 ➝ $209.00+8.94%
10/7/2024Sanford C. Bernstein
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A. Howard
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DowngradeOutperform ➝ Market Perform$230.00 ➝ $205.00+6.86%
9/10/2024Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft
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 Boost TargetHold ➝ Hold$191.00 ➝ $199.00-1.82%
8/27/2024Citigroup
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T. Palmer
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DowngradeNeutral ➝ Sell$195.00 ➝ $182.00-7.34%
8/14/2024Argus
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T. Conrad
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DowngradeBuy ➝ Hold
8/12/2024The Goldman Sachs Group
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 Initiated CoverageSell$185.00-8.19%
4/19/2024Edward Jones
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 Reiterated RatingBuy ➝ Hold
3/26/2024BNP Paribas
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 DowngradeOutperform ➝ Neutral$208.00+8.19%
2/12/2024Morgan Stanley
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 DowngradeEqual Weight ➝ Underweight$191.00 ➝ $183.00-6.37%
12/8/2023DA Davidson
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 Initiated CoverageNeutral$205.00+8.43%
10/27/2023TD Cowen
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 DowngradeOutperform ➝ Market Perform$235.00 ➝ $200.00+5.80%
10/13/2023Stephens
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 Initiated CoverageOverweight$240.00+27.90%
9/22/2023HSBC
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 Initiated CoverageBuy$248.00+19.17%
5/2/2023VNET Group
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 Reiterated RatingMaintains
4/28/2023Evercore ISI
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 Boost TargetInline$255.00 ➝ $265.00-2.03%
2/3/2023Credit Suisse Group
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 Boost TargetOutperform$250.00 ➝ $260.00+10.91%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Saturday at 06:33 AM ET.


Should I Buy Hershey Stock? HSY Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. Please send any questions or comments about these Hershey pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Hershey
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in The Hershey Company:

  • The Hershey Company has a solid dividend yield of 3.14%, which can provide a steady income stream for investors. The annualized dividend is $5.48, reflecting the company's commitment to returning value to shareholders.
  • With a market capitalization of $35.37 billion, The Hershey Company is a well-established player in the confectionery market, indicating stability and a strong market presence.
  • The stock currently has a price-to-earnings (PE) ratio of 20.14, which suggests that it may be reasonably valued compared to its earnings, making it an attractive option for growth-oriented investors.
  • Recent analyst upgrades, such as Deutsche Bank raising the price target to $199.00, indicate positive sentiment and potential for stock price appreciation.
  • The Hershey Company operates through diverse segments, including North America Confectionery and International, which can help mitigate risks associated with market fluctuations in any single area.

Hershey
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in The Hershey Company for these reasons:

  • Recent downgrades from analysts, including Citigroup lowering their rating to "sell" and cutting the price target to $182.00, suggest a lack of confidence in the stock's near-term performance.
  • The dividend payout ratio is currently at 63.13%, which indicates that a significant portion of earnings is being distributed as dividends. This could limit the company's ability to reinvest in growth opportunities.
  • With five analysts rating the stock as a "sell," there is a prevailing bearish sentiment that could pressure the stock price further.
  • The price-to-earnings-growth (PEG) ratio of 4.30 suggests that the stock may be overvalued relative to its expected growth rate, which could deter value-focused investors.
  • Market volatility and economic uncertainties could impact consumer spending on non-essential items like confectionery products, potentially affecting The Hershey Company's sales and profitability.

HSY Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 19 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Hershey is $185.17, with a high forecast of $225.00 and a low forecast of $160.00.

19 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Hershey in the last year. There are currently 6 sell ratings and 13 hold ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that investors should "reduce" HSY shares.

According to analysts, Hershey's stock has a predicted upside of 8.76% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Hershey's stock had 4 downgrades by analysts.

Analysts like Hershey less than other "consumer staples" companies. The consensus rating for Hershey is Reduce while the average consensus rating for "consumer staples" companies is Hold. Learn more on how HSY compares to other companies.


This page (NYSE:HSY) was last updated on 12/21/2024 by MarketBeat.com Staff
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