HSY
Hershey Company (The)
$170.89
▼ 1.0%Updated Today 7:15 PM ET
▲ Up 1.7% over the last 12 months
Market Cap
$35.02B
P/E
31.96x
Forward P/E (est.)
45.66x
ROE
23.7%
Revenue Growth
2.8%
EPS Growth
-40.0%
Profit Margin
9.1%
FCF Yield
5.4%
Debt / Equity
1.17x
ROIC
12.0%
Interest Coverage
6.41x
Current Ratio
1.24x
Dividend Yield
3.2%
Implied Growth (rev. DCF)
3.6%
Rating Score
41/100
Technical analysis reads price and volume to judge momentum and timing. It complements the fundamentals above — it does not replace them. Here is what HSY's chart says today, with each tool explained.
Trend — moving averages. A moving average is the average closing price over a window, which smooths out daily noise. HSY trades near $170.89, below its 50-day average ($188.25) and 200-day average ($193.83). Price below both averages is a downtrend — momentum is against buyers for now.
Momentum — RSI. The Relative Strength Index runs 0–100 and measures how strong recent gains are versus losses. Above 70 is "overbought", below 30 "oversold". At 23 it is oversold — selling has been heavy and a bounce is possible.
MACD. MACD compares two moving averages to flag shifts in momentum. Its histogram is currently negative — short-term momentum is fading.
Volatility — ATR. Average True Range is the typical daily move. HSY's is $5.77 (~3.4% of price), so swings of about that size each day are normal — handy for setting a stop that isn't too tight.
Support & resistance. Over the last month HSY found buyers near $171.10 (support) and sellers near $200.00 (resistance); its 52-week range is $160.07–$239.48. A decisive break beyond either edge often marks the next move.
Volume. The latest session traded 1.9× the 20-day average — heavier than usual, which adds conviction to the move. Rising volume on up-days suggests real buying; on down-days, real selling.
Educational information to help you read a chart — not a recommendation or a forecast. It updates daily as the price and indicators change.
Hershey Company (The) (HSY) is a large-cap company in the Packaged Foods & Meats industry, part of the Consumer Staples sector of the S&P 500, with a market value around $35.02B.
In its latest reported year it generated about $11.69B in revenue and $883.26M in net profit.
Our model rates HSY Weak (41/100) on growth, profitability, financial health, and valuation. The summary below is built from its filed financials and current ratios and refreshes automatically.
4Y CAGR
6.8%
Revenue moved from $8.97B in 2021 to $11.69B in 2025, a 6.8% compound annual growth rate. The most recent year was roughly flat (2.8%) year over year. Slower, mature growth is common for established businesses.
Gross Margin
33.5%
Operating Margin
12.3%
Net Margin
7.6%
ROE
23.7%
Hershey Company (The) keeps about 9.1% of each sales dollar as net profit, with a 33.5% gross margin and 12.3% operating margin. Return on equity is 23.7% and return on invested capital about 12.0%. Margins are moderate — typical of a competitive but profitable business.
Total Debt
$5.19B
Net Debt
$4.82B
Net Debt / EBITDA
3.35x
Debt / Equity
1.17x
Leverage: debt-to-equity is 1.2x, and operating profit covers interest about 6.4x, with a current ratio of 1.2x. That is a moderate, manageable debt load for most businesses. It carries roughly $5.19B of total debt against $365.96M of cash.
Operating CF
$2.28B
Free Cash Flow
$1.82B
FCF Margin
15.6%
In the latest year Hershey Company (The) produced about $2.28B of operating cash flow and $1.82B of free cash flow after capital spending. That is a free-cash-flow yield of about 5.4% on today's price. Strong cash generation funds dividends, buybacks, and reinvestment.
P/E
31.96x
P/S
3.16x
P/B
7.53x
EV / EBITDA
21.51x
HSY trades at 32.0x trailing earnings (about 45.7x on estimated forward earnings), 3.2x sales, and 7.5x book value. Reverse-engineering today's price implies the market expects roughly 3.6% long-term free-cash-flow growth. That is a premium multiple that needs growth to justify it.
Where this stock sits versus what most companies trade at.
Typical ranges are general references (e.g., many stocks trade at ~18–26x earnings), not hard rules. Context only — not investment advice.
How HSY stacks up against its Consumer Staples peers — valuation, profitability, and growth versus the sector median.
In the Consumer Staples sector (36 S&P 500 companies), HSY ranks #25 of 36 by our overall rating. It trades at a premium versus the sector on earnings (32x P/E vs. 22.5x median) with a higher return on equity (23.7% vs. 20.2%) and slower revenue growth (2.8% vs. 3.0%).
P/E vs sector
32x
median 22.5x
ROE vs sector
23.7%
median 20.2%
Growth vs sector
2.8%
median 3.0%
Sector rank
#25
of 36 by rating
Valuation vs. quality map
The sweet spot is upper-left: more profitable (higher ROE) for a lower P/E. Dashed lines mark the sector median.
Peers are the closest Consumer Staples companies by sub-industry and size. Sector median is across all 36 S&P 500 names in the sector. Educational, not a recommendation.
Project revenue → earnings → price. Edit the assumptions to build your own case.
2030 price target (Base Case)
$92.06 – $155.05
vs. $170.89 today · expected CAGR -12% – -2%
| Metric | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $12.04B | $12.40B | $12.78B | $13.16B | $13.55B |
| Net income | $963.47M | $992.37M | $1.02B | $1.05B | $1.08B |
| EPS | $4.30 | $4.43 | $4.57 | $4.70 | $4.85 |
| Share price (low) | $81.79 | $84.25 | $86.78 | $89.38 | $92.06 |
| Share price (high) | $137.76 | $141.89 | $146.15 | $150.53 | $155.05 |
| CAGR (low–high) | -52% / -19% | -30% / -9% | -20% / -5% | -15% / -3% | -12% / -2% |
Educational model on sample fundamentals — not a forecast or investment advice. Outputs are only as good as your assumptions.
The case for HSY:
- Strong return on equity (23.7%) shows capital is put to work well.
- Healthy free-cash-flow yield (~5.4%) funds buybacks and dividends.
- Pays a 3.2% dividend on top of any price gains.
The case against HSY:
- Revenue growth is slow (2.8%), limiting the upside engine.
- Our model's overall read is Weak (41/100).
Valuation risk — at 32.0x earnings, disappointing results could compress the multiple.
Balance-sheet risk — debt/equity of 1.2x magnifies the impact of higher rates or weaker earnings.
Growth risk — sluggish revenue (2.8%) leaves little margin for execution missteps.
Market risk — sector rotation, the economic cycle, and broad sentiment move the stock regardless of fundamentals.
On balance, the fundamentals screen weakly: Hershey Company (The) is a large-cap consumer staples business growing at a mature pace, with modest profitability, and a heavier debt load to watch. It trades at 32.0x earnings, which our model scores Weak (41/100). Weigh this against your own goals and time horizon — this is educational information, not a recommendation.
Data notice. Fundamentals and financial statements are sourced from company filings (SEC EDGAR) and market-data providers; prices and market caps refresh on trading days and may be delayed. Ratings, projections, technical signals, and written summaries are model- or rule-generated for education and may simplify or lag the latest filings.
Not advice. Nothing on this page is investment advice or a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell any security. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial professional before investing.