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HERSHEY CO/THE (HSY) Stock Fundamental Analysis

USA - New York Stock Exchange - NYSE:HSY - US4278661081 - Common Stock

191.2 USD
+0.55 (+0.29%)
Last: 1/23/2026, 8:04:00 PM
191.2 USD
0 (0%)
After Hours: 1/23/2026, 8:04:00 PM
Fundamental Rating

6

Overall HSY gets a fundamental rating of 6 out of 10. We evaluated HSY against 87 industry peers in the Food Products industry. While HSY has a great profitability rating, there are some minor concerns on its financial health. HSY is valued expensive and it does not seem to be growing.


Dividend Valuation Growth Profitability Health

9

1. Profitability

1.1 Basic Checks

  • In the past year HSY was profitable.
  • In the past year HSY had a positive cash flow from operations.
  • Each year in the past 5 years HSY has been profitable.
  • In the past 5 years HSY always reported a positive cash flow from operatings.
HSY Yearly Net Income VS EBIT VS OCF VS FCFHSY Yearly Net Income VS EBIT VS OCF VS FCFYearly Net Income VS EBIT VS OCF VS FCF 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 500M 1B 1.5B 2B 2.5B

1.2 Ratios

  • HSY has a better Return On Assets (10.01%) than 93.10% of its industry peers.
  • HSY has a better Return On Equity (29.79%) than 97.70% of its industry peers.
  • With an excellent Return On Invested Capital value of 16.48%, HSY belongs to the best of the industry, outperforming 94.25% of the companies in the same industry.
  • The Average Return On Invested Capital over the past 3 years for HSY is below the industry average of 27.79%.
  • The last Return On Invested Capital (16.48%) for HSY is well below the 3 year average (23.99%), which needs to be investigated, but indicates that HSY had better years and this may not be a problem.
Industry RankSector Rank
ROA 10.01%
ROE 29.79%
ROIC 16.48%
ROA(3y)15.94%
ROA(5y)15.2%
ROE(3y)47.46%
ROE(5y)50.64%
ROIC(3y)23.99%
ROIC(5y)22.85%
HSY Yearly ROA, ROE, ROICHSY Yearly ROA, ROE, ROICYearly ROA, ROE, ROIC 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 20 40 60 80

1.3 Margins

  • HSY has a Profit Margin of 11.84%. This is amongst the best in the industry. HSY outperforms 93.10% of its industry peers.
  • HSY's Profit Margin has improved in the last couple of years.
  • Looking at the Operating Margin, with a value of 17.27%, HSY belongs to the top of the industry, outperforming 96.55% of the companies in the same industry.
  • HSY's Operating Margin has improved in the last couple of years.
  • HSY's Gross Margin of 37.74% is amongst the best of the industry. HSY outperforms 83.91% of its industry peers.
  • In the last couple of years the Gross Margin of HSY has remained more or less at the same level.
Industry RankSector Rank
OM 17.27%
PM (TTM) 11.84%
GM 37.74%
OM growth 3Y4.4%
OM growth 5Y4.06%
PM growth 3Y6.38%
PM growth 5Y6.61%
GM growth 3Y1.55%
GM growth 5Y0.85%
HSY Yearly Profit, Operating, Gross MarginsHSY Yearly Profit, Operating, Gross MarginsYearly Profit, Operating, Gross Margins 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 10 20 30 40

6

2. Health

2.1 Basic Checks

  • HSY has a Return on Invested Capital (ROIC), which is well above the Cost of Capital (WACC), which means it is creating value.
  • HSY has less shares outstanding than it did 1 year ago.
  • The number of shares outstanding for HSY has been reduced compared to 5 years ago.
  • HSY has a better debt/assets ratio than last year.
HSY Yearly Shares OutstandingHSY Yearly Shares OutstandingYearly Shares Outstanding 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 50M 100M 150M 200M
HSY Yearly Total Debt VS Total AssetsHSY Yearly Total Debt VS Total AssetsYearly Total Debt VS Total Assets 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2B 4B 6B 8B 10B

2.2 Solvency

  • HSY has an Altman-Z score of 4.57. This indicates that HSY is financially healthy and has little risk of bankruptcy at the moment.
  • With an excellent Altman-Z score value of 4.57, HSY belongs to the best of the industry, outperforming 83.91% of the companies in the same industry.
  • HSY has a debt to FCF ratio of 3.05. This is a good value and a sign of high solvency as HSY would need 3.05 years to pay back of all of its debts.
  • With an excellent Debt to FCF ratio value of 3.05, HSY belongs to the best of the industry, outperforming 82.76% of the companies in the same industry.
  • A Debt/Equity ratio of 1.07 is on the high side and indicates that HSY has dependencies on debt financing.
  • HSY has a Debt to Equity ratio of 1.07. This is in the lower half of the industry: HSY underperforms 72.41% of its industry peers.
Industry RankSector Rank
Debt/Equity 1.07
Debt/FCF 3.05
Altman-Z 4.57
ROIC/WACC2
WACC8.25%
HSY Yearly LT Debt VS Equity VS FCFHSY Yearly LT Debt VS Equity VS FCFYearly LT Debt VS Equity VS FCF 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 1B 2B 3B 4B

2.3 Liquidity

  • HSY has a Current Ratio of 1.36. This is a normal value and indicates that HSY is financially healthy and should not expect problems in meeting its short term obligations.
  • With a Current ratio value of 1.36, HSY perfoms like the industry average, outperforming 40.23% of the companies in the same industry.
  • HSY has a Quick Ratio of 1.36. This is a bad value and indicates that HSY is not financially healthy enough and could expect problems in meeting its short term obligations.
  • HSY has a Quick ratio of 0.83. This is comparable to the rest of the industry: HSY outperforms 44.83% of its industry peers.
Industry RankSector Rank
Current Ratio 1.36
Quick Ratio 0.83
HSY Yearly Current Assets VS Current LiabilitesHSY Yearly Current Assets VS Current LiabilitesYearly Current Assets VS Current Liabilites 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 1B 2B 3B

3

3. Growth

3.1 Past

  • HSY shows a strong negative growth in Earnings Per Share. In the last year the EPS decreased by -16.21%.
  • Measured over the past years, HSY shows a quite strong growth in Earnings Per Share. The EPS has been growing by 10.11% on average per year.
  • HSY shows a small growth in Revenue. In the last year, the Revenue has grown by 4.71%.
  • The Revenue has been growing slightly by 7.00% on average over the past years.
EPS 1Y (TTM)-16.21%
EPS 3Y9.28%
EPS 5Y10.11%
EPS Q2Q%-44.44%
Revenue 1Y (TTM)4.71%
Revenue growth 3Y7.68%
Revenue growth 5Y7%
Sales Q2Q%6.49%

3.2 Future

  • Based on estimates for the next years, HSY will show a small growth in Earnings Per Share. The EPS will grow by 2.75% on average per year.
  • Based on estimates for the next years, HSY will show a small growth in Revenue. The Revenue will grow by 3.41% on average per year.
EPS Next Y-35.44%
EPS Next 2Y-13.21%
EPS Next 3Y-4.44%
EPS Next 5Y2.75%
Revenue Next Year3.7%
Revenue Next 2Y3.68%
Revenue Next 3Y3.4%
Revenue Next 5Y3.41%

3.3 Evolution

  • When comparing the EPS growth rate of the last years to the growth rate of the upcoming years, we see that the growth is decreasing.
  • When comparing the Revenue growth rate of the last years to the growth rate of the upcoming years, we see that the growth is decreasing.
HSY Yearly Revenue VS EstimatesHSY Yearly Revenue VS EstimatesYearly Revenue VS Estimates 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 2025 2027 2029 2031 2033 5B 10B 15B
HSY Yearly EPS VS EstimatesHSY Yearly EPS VS EstimatesYearly EPS VS Estimates 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 2025 2027 2029 2031 2033 2 4 6 8 10

3

4. Valuation

4.1 Price/Earnings Ratio

  • A Price/Earnings ratio of 26.23 indicates a quite expensive valuation of HSY.
  • HSY's Price/Earnings ratio is in line with the industry average.
  • The average S&P500 Price/Earnings ratio is at 27.21. HSY is around the same levels.
  • HSY is valuated quite expensively with a Price/Forward Earnings ratio of 27.09.
  • HSY's Price/Forward Earnings is on the same level as the industry average.
  • HSY's Price/Forward Earnings ratio indicates a similar valuation than the S&P500 average which is at 24.26.
Industry RankSector Rank
PE 26.23
Fwd PE 27.09
HSY Price Earnings VS Forward Price EarningsHSY Price Earnings VS Forward Price Earnings ChartPrice Earnings - Forward Price Earnings PE FPE 5 10 15 20 25

4.2 Price Multiples

  • Compared to the rest of the industry, the Enterprise Value to EBITDA ratio of HSY is on the same level as its industry peers.
  • 64.37% of the companies in the same industry are more expensive than HSY, based on the Price/Free Cash Flow ratio.
Industry RankSector Rank
P/FCF 21.93
EV/EBITDA 17.22
HSY Per share dataHSY EPS, Sales, OCF, FCF, BookValue per sharePer Share Data Per Share 0 10 20 30 40 50

4.3 Compensation for Growth

  • HSY has an outstanding profitability rating, which may justify a higher PE ratio.
  • HSY's earnings are expected to decrease with -4.44% in the coming years. This may justify a cheaper valuation.
PEG (NY)N/A
PEG (5Y)2.6
EPS Next 2Y-13.21%
EPS Next 3Y-4.44%

6

5. Dividend

5.1 Amount

  • HSY has a Yearly Dividend Yield of 2.73%. Purely for dividend investing, there may be better candidates out there.
  • HSY's Dividend Yield is a higher than the industry average which is at 2.28.
  • Compared to an average S&P500 Dividend Yield of 1.82, HSY pays a bit more dividend than the S&P500 average.
Industry RankSector Rank
Dividend Yield 2.73%

5.2 History

  • On average, the dividend of HSY grows each year by 12.83%, which is quite nice.
  • HSY has paid a dividend for at least 10 years, which is a reliable track record.
  • HSY has not decreased their dividend for at least 10 years, which is a reliable track record.
Dividend Growth(5Y)12.83%
Div Incr Years15
Div Non Decr Years34
HSY Yearly Dividends per shareHSY Yearly Dividends per shareYearly Dividends per share 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 1 2 3 4 5

5.3 Sustainability

  • HSY pays out 79.75% of its income as dividend. This is not a sustainable payout ratio.
  • HSY's earnings are growing slower than its dividend. This means the dividend growth is not sustainable.
DP79.75%
EPS Next 2Y-13.21%
EPS Next 3Y-4.44%
HSY Yearly Income VS Free CF VS DividendHSY Yearly Income VS Free CF VS DividendYearly Income VS Free CF VS Dividend 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 500M 1B 1.5B 2B
HSY Dividend Payout.HSY Dividend Payout, showing the Payout Ratio.HSY Dividend Payout.PayoutRetained Earnings

HERSHEY CO/THE / HSY FAQ

What is the fundamental rating for HSY stock?

ChartMill assigns a fundamental rating of 6 / 10 to HSY.


Can you provide the valuation status for HERSHEY CO/THE?

ChartMill assigns a valuation rating of 3 / 10 to HERSHEY CO/THE (HSY). This can be considered as Overvalued.


What is the profitability of HSY stock?

HERSHEY CO/THE (HSY) has a profitability rating of 9 / 10.


Can you provide the PE and PB ratios for HSY stock?

The Price/Earnings (PE) ratio for HERSHEY CO/THE (HSY) is 26.23 and the Price/Book (PB) ratio is 8.49.


Can you provide the expected EPS growth for HSY stock?

The Earnings per Share (EPS) of HERSHEY CO/THE (HSY) is expected to decline by -35.44% in the next year.