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HSY · NASDAQ · STOCK

Hershey Company

Consumer Defensive Updated August 09, 2026
$182.36
52W $161.43 – $239.48
55/100
$36.98B
24.5
0.10
AI Committee Verdict
Watch
55/100
Conviction: Contested · 40% agreement · 5 analysts
+6.0%
-1.2%
5.00:1
Contested

Is HSY Bullish or Bearish?

Mixed. Innellis AI committee rates Hershey Company (HSY) Watch with a composite score of 55/100 , based on 5 analysts with 40% agreement. Last updated August 09, 2026.

What Would Change This View

Upgrade to Buy
Requires a committee score of 60.0 — +4.80 from today. Applies on the first day at or above the line; upgrades are never dampened.
Downgrade to Reduce
Requires the score to fall below 40.0 — -15.20 from today. The band boundary is 45.0, but a one-step downgrade must clear a further margin first. A score oscillating around the line should not change the rating every night.

Executive Summary

The committee is genuinely divided. Macro Analyst sees a compelling case — market regime is bullish (bull market -- normal position sizing). Growth Analyst remains cautious — revenue declining -12.4% yoy -- this is not a growth story right now. This disagreement is itself the signal — the setup is not clean in either direction.

Bull & Bear Case

Bull Case
  • ROE of 31.3% shows genuine earnings power backing the valuation — Value
  • Dividend yield of 3.2% pays you to wait — Value
  • 5 consecutive earnings beats -- consistent execution — Growth
  • MACD histogram positive -- bullish momentum — Technical
  • Market regime is bullish (Bull market -- normal position sizing) — Macro
Bear Case
  • P/E of 31.3 is moderate-to-rich — Value
  • Price-to-book of 8.0x prices in significant intangible value — Value
  • Revenue declining -12.4% YoY -- this is not a growth story right now — Growth
  • EPS declining -33.5% YoY despite any revenue growth — Growth
  • Growth rate is decelerating quarter over quarter -- the trend line matters more than the level — Growth
Both cases are generated from quantitative data signals, not qualitative or forward-looking judgement. They summarise what the numbers say today.
Price History (6M)

AI Investment Committee

Committee Consensus As of August 09, 2026
Overall Committee Score
55/100
Agreement
40%
Analysts
5
Conviction
Contested
Sector Rank
Top 62%
of 50 Consumer Defensive peers
Value Analyst neutral
48 / 100 · Moderate confidence
Fair value -- neither a bargain nor obviously overpriced
+ ROE of 31.3% shows genuine earnings power backing the valuation
− P/E of 31.3 is moderate-to-rich
Growth Analyst bearish
38 / 100 · High confidence
Growth story is weak, decelerating, or inconsistent
+ 5 consecutive earnings beats -- consistent execution
− Revenue declining -12.4% YoY -- this is not a growth story right now
Technical Analyst neutral
58 / 100 · High confidence
Mixed or range-bound price action
+ MACD histogram positive -- bullish momentum
Macro Analyst bullish
70 / 100 · Moderate confidence
Macro backdrop is supportive of risk assets generally, and this name's beta works in its favor
+ Market regime is bullish (Bull market -- normal position sizing)
News Analyst bullish
62 / 100 · Low confidence
News flow and recent filings/analyst actions are net positive
Portfolio Manager neutral
55 / 100 · Moderate confidence
Portfolio-level factors are mixed -- worth a deliberate sizing decision, not a default-size position
+ Portfolio position concentration is currently healthy
− 4 existing position pair(s) are highly correlated already
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Investment Thesis Evolution

Committee score moved marginally from 54.3 to 55.2.

Analyst-level changes:
  • News Analyst: stance neutral->bullish; score 58->62 (+4).

Comparing 2026-08-08 to 2026-08-09 (1 day apart).

Technical Analysis

RSI (14)
62.6
Neutral
MACD Histogram
0.992
Bullish Momentum
Trend Direction
Sideways
Weekly: Uptrend
Market Structure
Mixed
Support
$180.18
Resistance
$193.29
Bollinger %B
0.83
Inside Bands
Price vs Moving Averages
EMA 9
$179.65 Above
EMA 21
$178.06 Above
EMA 50
$180.12 Above
EMA 200
$187.70 Below

Fundamental Analysis

Valuation
54
Growth
70
Profitability
66
Financial Health
48
Cash Flow
70
Valuation
P/E Ratio 24.5×
P/B Ratio 7.94×
PEG Ratio -15.44
Dividend Yield 3.10%
52W High $239.48
52W Low $161.43
Quality & Growth
ROE 1904.9%
ROA 642.8%
Gross Margin 3810.8%
Operating Margin 1757.9%
Revenue Growth YoY
Debt / Equity 1.23
AI Fundamental Assessment
P/E ratio of 24.5 (inexpensive relative to a 15-40x range); Price-to-book of 7.9x; PEG ratio of -15.4 (under 1.0 suggests growth is undervalued relative to price); Return on equity of 19.0%; Return on assets of 6.4%; Net margin of 12.2%; Gross margin of 38.1%; Current ratio of 1.18 (tight short-term liquidity); Debt-to-equity of 1.23; Free cash flow per share is positive (12.81); Most recent quarter beat estimates by 32.0%; 5 consecutive earnings beats; EPS growth decelerating (+37.4% -> -19.1% QoQ); Average YoY EPS growth of 57.0%; Analyst estimates flat over recent quarters
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📈 Rating History 💰 Earnings 📰 Recent Events 🔄 What Changed 📖 Thesis Evolution 🔍 Similar Stocks
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