Hershey Trust Co trustee sells $5.1 million in Hershey Co stock

HERSHEY, Pa. – Hershey Trust Co Trustee, a 10% owner and director of The Hershey Company (), reported the sale of 29,900 shares of common stock for a total value of $5,135,061. The transactions took place from July 20 to July 22, 2026.

The shares were sold at weighted average prices ranging from $168.84 to $172.2865 per share. The reporting person noted that these reported prices represent weighted averages of multiple transactions, with individual sales occurring within various price bands for each block of shares. The stock currently trades at $172.33, near the high end of the transaction range. According to InvestingPro analysis, Hershey appears undervalued at current levels, with a Fair Value estimate suggesting potential upside.

Following these sales, Hershey Trust Co Trustee directly holds 1,176,119 shares of Hershey Co common stock. Additionally, the trust indirectly holds 39,630 shares through Hershey Trust Company. The trust also maintains a holding of 54,612,012 shares of Class B Common Stock, which are convertible on a one-for-one basis into common stock and have no expiration date. Hershey Trust Company is wholly owned by Milton Hershey School Trust and serves as trustee for the Milton Hershey School Trust. InvestingPro Tips highlight that Hershey has maintained dividend payments for 56 consecutive years, with a current yield of 3.4%—among 7+ additional exclusive tips available to subscribers.

In other recent news, Hershey has been the focus of several analyst adjustments and corporate updates. Stifel, Jefferies, and Piper Sandler have all lowered their price targets for Hershey stock, citing concerns over cocoa costs and volume pressures. Stifel reduced its target to $180, while Jefferies adjusted it to $190, and Piper Sandler set a new target of $200. Despite these reductions, Stifel and Jefferies maintained a Hold rating, while Piper Sandler kept an Overweight rating, indicating varying levels of confidence in the company’s future performance.

Additionally, Moody’s affirmed Hershey’s A1 rating and shifted its outlook to stable, reflecting expectations of margin expansion and earnings growth that could support deleveraging. The ratings agency anticipates a 30-35% increase in adjusted EBITDA for 2026, driven by previous pricing actions. In a significant leadership update, Hershey announced that Heather Hoytink will become President of U.S. operations in July 2026. Hoytink joins from PepsiCo, where she held senior leadership roles, bringing extensive experience to her new position at Hershey. These developments come as Hershey navigates a challenging environment with fluctuating cocoa costs impacting its financial outlook.