Hershey Company (HSY)

As of July 18, 2025, The Hershey Co. stock price was $171.29 per share, representing a decline of 10.46% over the past year. Over the last six months, the stock has seen a gain of 11.61%. In the past month, the stock decreased by 0.26%, while year-to-date performance shows a 1.13% increase. HSY's stock price has risen by 4.54% compared to the previous week and 1.39% over the last month. The company pays quarterly dividends, with the last dividend per share being $1.37.

Demand for The Hershey Co.'s products exhibits significant seasonality, with holidays driving a substantial portion of its business. Approximately one-quarter to one-third of Hershey's total sales come from its seasonal business, particularly around Halloween, Easter, and the winter holiday season. Valentine's Day also contributes to seasonal sales. Hershey's seasonal products are considered "stars" due to their strong sales and market share during these holidays. In 2022, Hershey faced challenges in fully meeting consumer demand during the Halloween and winter holiday seasons due to higher-than-average demand and capacity constraints. The company expects to be better positioned to meet consumer demand across both everyday and seasonal portfolios in the future with healthier inventory levels and increased capacity.

The Hershey Company, founded in 1894 by Milton S. Hershey, is a multinational confectionery company headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and is one of the largest chocolate manufacturers globally, operating within the consumer staples sector. Hershey's main product categories include chocolate and confectionery goods, gum and mint refreshment items, and pantry goods, with over 90 brands sold in approximately 85 countries. Major chocolate and confectionery brands include Hershey's, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, Kit Kat, Jolly Rancher, Almond Joy, Brookside, Cadbury, Good & Plenty, Heath, Payday, Rolo, Twizzlers, Whoppers and York. Beyond confectionery, Hershey has diversified its product line to include salty snacks and better-for-you options such as SkinnyPop popcorn, Pirate's Booty, Dot's Homestyle Pretzels, Lily's Sweets, and ONE Brands.

The Hershey Company is headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania, with manufacturing plants located there and across the U.S. in Lancaster, PA, Stuarts Draft, VA, Bluffton, IN, Edgerton, KS, Plymouth, IN, Hazleton, PA, and Memphis, TN. Internationally, Hershey has a growing presence with manufacturing facilities and regional offices, with its main markets being the U.S. and Canada. The Johor plant in Malaysia is the second largest in Hershey's global manufacturing network. Singapore is home to the Hershey AEMEA Regional Office Headquarters, which manages satellite offices in cities like Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo, Dubai, Manila, and Mumbai. Hershey's products are sold in approximately 85 countries worldwide.

The Hershey Company has maintained a strong brand reputation, ranking number one on Fair360's 2024 Top 50 Companies list for its commitment to workplace fairness, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Hershey announced updated 2030 science-based greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, which were re-validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. The company's brand refresh received the gold medal for "Best Implementation of a Brand Development Project in North America" at Transform Magazine's Transform Awards. Hershey has been recognized for its commitment to social responsibility, including being named one of America's Most JUST Companies by Forbes and JUST Capital for consecutive years.

The Hershey Company's ownership is heavily dominated by institutional investors, who hold approximately 88% of the shares. The general public holds a 12% stake, and insiders own less than 1% of the company. The largest institutional shareholder is the Milton Hershey School Trust, holding 28% of shares outstanding. Other major institutional owners include The Vanguard Group, Inc., Capital Research and Management Company, BlackRock, Inc., State Street Corp, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc, Geode Capital Management, Llc and Capital International Investors. Trust Co Hershey is noted as the largest individual Hershey Co shareholder, owning 2.11 million shares, representing 1.04% of the company.