Hershey Trust Co. sells $4.95M in Hershey Co. stock

Hershey Trust Co., a significant shareholder and director of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY), recently disposed of common stock totaling approximately $4.95 million across multiple transactions. The sales occurred between October 26 and October 28, 2026, with shares trading at prices ranging from $162.7182 to $168.2167. The transactions came as HSY stock trades near its 52-week low of $156.16, down significantly from its 52-week high of $239.48. According to InvestingPro analysis, the stock appears undervalued at current levels, with shares trading below the platform’s Fair Value estimate—placing it among opportunities on the most undervalued stocks list.

Specifically, on October 26, 2026, the Trust sold a total of 9,900 shares of common stock in four separate transactions. On October 27, 2026, an additional 9,900 shares were sold over four transactions. The final transactions on October 28, 2026, involved the sale of 10,000 shares across three separate dealings. In total, the Trust sold 30,000 shares directly, reducing its direct beneficial ownership from 515,889 shares to 486,119 shares.

Beyond these direct holdings, Hershey Trust Co. also indirectly beneficially owns 39,630 shares of common stock through Hershey Trust Company. Furthermore, the Trust directly holds 54,612,012 shares of Class B Common Stock, which are convertible on a one-for-one basis into common stock at any time.

In other recent news, Hershey is preparing to report its third-quarter 2026 earnings, with analysts offering various perspectives on the company’s outlook. RBC Capital maintained a Sector Perform rating with a $206 price target, expressing concerns about Hershey potentially missing expectations due to weak North American confection consumption data. UBS reiterated a Neutral rating with a price target of $178, ahead of the earnings report. Jefferies lowered its price target to $178 from $190, citing volume concerns and noting that Hershey is focusing on Halloween sales and innovation in the coming quarter. Meanwhile, TD Cowen maintained a Buy rating with a $210 price target, highlighting Hershey’s commitment to increasing R&D spending by 25% in 2026 for a robust innovation pipeline. RBC Capital also lowered its price target to $206 from $212, mentioning ongoing market share challenges. These developments reflect varying analyst opinions as Hershey navigates its current market conditions.