Risk Intelligence
Core Model
C−
59 / 100
Fundamentally Qualified
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Around the middle of the covered universe.
Suggestions
HSY · NYSE
HERSHEY CO
Private betaConsumer Staples · Packaged Foods
$173.32
-0.59%
Close on Sep 11, 2026
Defensively Qualified
Updated 6/30/2026
Long-term research evidence only. No price targets, no trading signals, no recommendations.
Investment Report Card
HERSHEY CO
Consumer Staples · Packaged Foods · Data confidence good
45 / 100
Rank #416 of 1,152 qualified companies
Top 60% · Not Currently Suggested
Long-Term Potential
Research Model
D+
52 / 100
Ordinary Compounder
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
Fundamental Momentum
Research Model
D+
51 / 100
Middle
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
Ownership Intelligence
Supplemental Intelligence
A−
88 / 100
Positive disclosed activity
What are important owners actually doing?
Among the strongest readings on this measure.
Valuation Intelligence
Research Model
C
60 / 100
Reasonable
Is today's price reasonable?
Around the middle of the covered universe — and valuation is researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Capital Returns Intelligence
Research Model
C+
67 / 100
Favorable Capital Returns
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Around the middle of the covered universe — and capital returns are researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Why it stands out
- Business Quality meets the frozen IA Defensive qualification.
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
What holds it back
No weakening evidence is recorded in today's readings.
Long-term view
HERSHEY CO scores 52 on Long-Term Potential (D+), described by the research model as ordinary compounder. This describes business characteristics only — it is not a forecast of future returns.
Ownership view
Disclosed ownership evidence reads 88 (A−): Positive disclosed activity. 5 tracked managers disclosed a position in the latest reporting period. Ownership filings are historical disclosures, not signals.
Valuation view
HERSHEY CO reads 60 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Reasonable. The stock currently trades below most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
Capital returns view
HERSHEY CO reads 67 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 9.4% a year and a share count falling about 0.5% a year. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What changed
No meaningful recorded changes in the stored history.
Risk Intelligence is a core model, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence are research models, and Ownership Intelligence is supplemental descriptive evidence. Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence each contribute 0% to the Suggested Investment Score. Nothing here is a recommendation.
Compare HSY with other companiesAppears in
Rule-based membership
Membership means the company satisfied a published rule on the latest research build. It is not a recommendation.
About a minute to read
The 60-Second Investment Brief
Written from stored research readings only. No hype. No trading signals. Just better evidence.
Why it's interesting
HERSHEY CO (HSY) scores 45 out of 100 and ranks #416 of 1,152 qualified companies today. That places it in the top 60% of ranked companies. The stored tier for that score is not currently suggested.
Business strength
Risk Intelligence reads 59 out of 100 (C−), recorded as fundamentally qualified. Around the middle of the covered universe.
Long-term opportunity
Long-Term Potential reads 52 out of 100 (D+), recorded as ordinary compounder. Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
What's improving or weakening
Fundamental Momentum reads 51 out of 100 (D+), recorded as middle. Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
What important owners are doing
Ownership Intelligence reads 88 out of 100 (A−), recorded as positive disclosed activity. Among the strongest readings on this measure.
What kind of price you'd be paying
Valuation currently appears reasonable: Valuation Intelligence reads 60 out of 100 (C), recorded as Reasonable. HERSHEY CO reads 60 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Reasonable. The stock currently trades below most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
How the company rewards shareholders
Capital Returns Intelligence reads 67 out of 100 (C+), recorded as Favorable Capital Returns. HERSHEY CO reads 67 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 9.4% a year and a share count falling about 0.5% a year. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What could go wrong
No weakening factors are recorded in today's stored readings, and data confidence is good. Absence of a recorded weakness is not evidence of safety.
Bottom line
Its strongest recorded evidence is Ownership Intelligence. Risk Intelligence and Long-Term Potential and Fundamental Momentum remain the main area to watch. Separately from the score, valuation reads reasonable at today's price.
Composite discovery model
Suggested Investment Score
Suggested Investment Score
45 / 100
Not Currently Suggested
A 0–100 composite discovery score combining Risk Intelligence, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, and Ownership Intelligence. It helps rank qualified companies for further research and does not predict future returns.
- Rank
- #416 of 694
- Percentile
- Top 60%
- Ranking updated
- September 12, 2026
241Rank weakened by 241 positions. Rank weakened by 241 positions.
- Risk Intelligence
- 59
- Long-Term Potential
- 52
- Fundamental Momentum
- 51
- Ownership Intelligence
- 88
30% contribution
30% contribution
20% contribution
20% contribution
Ownership Intelligence
88 / 100 · Strong · 20% of the Suggested Investment Score
SUPPLEMENTAL / DESCRIPTIVE INTELLIGENCE
Coverage: Good
- Elite Investor Activity
- 90 · Strong
- Institutional Activity
- 83 · Strong
- Insider Activity
- Insufficient Data
- Strategic Ownership
- Insufficient Data
50% of Ownership Intelligence · 10% of the total score
Tracked professional-manager activity is strong.
20% of Ownership Intelligence · 4% of the total score
Broad institutional evidence from resolved filings is strong.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
No discretionary insider transactions are stored for this company, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
No qualifying major-holder filings are stored, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
Ownership Intelligence summarizes publicly disclosed activity among professional investment managers, broader institutions, company insiders, and significant strategic owners. It adds context to investment research but is not a validated predictor of future performance. Ownership information is publicly reported with a delay; the latest applicable reporting period is 2026-06-30, publicly disclosed 9/11/2026. Congressional activity is unavailable pending legal review and contributes nothing to this reading.
Why it ranks here
No component ranks in the top quartile of the qualified universe.
What holds it back
Risk Intelligence is less favourable
Defensive characteristics rank below the middle of the qualified universe.
Long-term potential is mid-pack
Long-Term Potential ranks below the qualified median. This remains a research model.
COMPOSITE DISCOVERY MODEL — RESEARCH STAGE · Data coverage Excellent. Rankings are recalculated daily using the latest available information. Individual components may update at different frequencies based on when new financial and ownership data becomes available.
Researched separately
Valuation Intelligence 60 · Reasonable
RESEARCH MODEL
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
Researched separately
Capital Returns Intelligence 67 · Favorable Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
Score explanation
Why this company scores the way it does
Four research areas carry fixed weights. Each area is compared against every other eligible company, then weighted. The four contributions below add to 45.1 of the stored score (45.1).
Risk Intelligence
30% of the score · contributes 8.6 points
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Stands at the 29 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 59 · 19% of this company’s total score
How financially sturdy the company has been when conditions turned against it.
How this area is measured
Risk Intelligence reads stored balance-sheet strength, historical downside behaviour and the company's price-risk grouping. A stronger reading describes past resilience; it does not protect against future losses.
Full methodologyLong-Term Potential
30% of the score · contributes 12.9 points
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Stands at the 43 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 52 · 29% of this company’s total score
Whether the business has the durable characteristics long-term owners look for.
How this area is measured
Long-Term Potential reads durability characteristics such as profitability consistency, cash generation and reinvestment capability over multiple reported periods.
Full methodologyFundamental Momentum
20% of the score · contributes 10.1 points
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Stands at the 50 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 51 · 22% of this company’s total score
Whether the reported business results have been getting stronger or weaker.
How this area is measured
Fundamental Momentum compares recent reported fundamentals with the company's own earlier periods, so improvement or deterioration is measured against its history rather than against a forecast.
Full methodologyOwnership Intelligence
20% of the score · contributes 13.6 points
What are important owners actually doing?
Stands at the 68 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 88 · 30% of this company’s total score
What large reporting owners have actually been doing with their positions.
How this area is measured
Ownership Intelligence reads public ownership filings: how many tracked reporting owners hold the company, and whether they were adding, holding, reducing or exiting in the latest disclosed period.
Full methodology
What is helping the score
- Ownership Intelligence — 68 percentile, adding 13.6 points.
What deserves attention
- Risk Intelligence — 29 percentile, adding only 8.6 of a possible 30 points.
- Long-Term Potential — 43 percentile, adding only 12.9 of a possible 30 points.
Outside the score
Additional research — not currently included in the primary Suggested Investment Score.
- Valuation Intelligence — HERSHEY CO reads 60 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Reasonable. The stock currently trades below most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
- Capital Returns Intelligence — HERSHEY CO reads 67 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 9.4% a year and a share count falling about 0.5% a year.
Stored snapshots only
What changed
Research-score history available since September 2026.
Stored research history does not yet cover a full 30 days comparison for this company.
A change is reported as meaningful at 8 score points, 5 rank places, or any change of research classification. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell.
Learn the metrics on this page
Plain-English definitions, with the formula and the limitations of each measure.
Fifth research lens · outside the score
Valuation Intelligence
Valuation Intelligence
Is today's price reasonable?
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
60/ 100
Reasonable
RESEARCH MODEL
Excellent coverage
Compared with its history
86
Very Attractive
Is this company expensive or inexpensive compared with its own history?
Compared with peers
20
Expensive
How expensive is this stock compared with similar companies?
Earnings & cash flow
63
Attractive
How much financial output does an investor receive relative to the price paid?
Growth-adjusted
70
Attractive
Does the company's growth help justify the valuation investors are paying?
HERSHEY CO reads 60 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Reasonable. The stock currently trades below most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended June 28, 2026
Valuation history
Stored readings only. The dashed line is this company's own median for the selected measure.
Only one stored valuation reading exists so far, so there is nothing to chart yet. Valuation history builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Current P/E 23.4x · own median 25.8x · peer median 14.7x
Valuation is inherently uncertain. A stock that appears inexpensive can continue falling, and a stock that appears expensive can continue rising. Valuation Intelligence provides context about the price investors are paying — it does not predict short-term market movements, and it never produces a fair value, a price target or a buy or sell range. Model VALUATION_INTELLIGENCE_V1.
Sixth research lens · outside the score
Capital Returns Intelligence
Capital Returns Intelligence
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
67/ 100
Favorable Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Excellent coverage
Dividend Quality
87
Exceptional Capital Returns
Dividend reliability
Buyback Effectiveness
54
Moderate Capital Returns
Do buybacks actually reduce shares?
Dilution Control
49
Moderate Capital Returns
Is your ownership share protected?
Capital Return Sustainability
76
Strong Capital Returns
Can the cash flow support it?
Shareholder Yield
67
Favorable Capital Returns
Cash returned versus company value
HERSHEY CO reads 67 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 9.4% a year and a share count falling about 0.5% a year.
How returned cash was used
Dividends $1.12B · net repurchases $408.95M · total returned $1.53B · 68% of free cash flow
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended June 28, 2026
Capital returns history
Stored readings only. History builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Only one stored reading exists for this measure so far, so there is nothing to chart yet.
Why higher yield isn't always better
A very high dividend yield may reflect a falling share price or an unsustainable payout. Capital Returns Intelligence emphasizes consistency and sustainability rather than simply rewarding the highest yield.
Why buybacks can be misleading
Announced or gross buyback spending does not always mean shareholders are gaining ownership. Companies can simultaneously issue shares through employee compensation or acquisitions. Suggested Investments therefore considers actual share-count changes alongside repurchase spending.
What these terms mean
- Dividend Yield
- The annual dividend relative to the current share price.
- Payout Ratio
- The share of company earnings used to pay dividends.
- Free Cash Flow Payout
- How much of the company's available cash is being used for dividends.
- Share Repurchases
- When a company buys back its own stock.
- Dilution
- When the number of shares increases, reducing each existing share's percentage ownership of the company.
- Shareholder Yield
- A combined view of dividends and net share repurchases relative to the company's market value.
Capital Returns Intelligence describes how a company returns capital to shareholders. It is not a measure of stock-price performance, it does not predict future returns, and a strong reading is never a recommendation to buy. Dividends and repurchases can be reduced or stopped at any time. Model CAPITAL_RETURNS_INTELLIGENCE_V1, contributing 0% to the Suggested Investment Score.
Stored daily snapshots only
Ranking history
| Today | #416 | Score 45 |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| 90 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| First suggested | Not yet suggested | |
| Highest rank | #416 | |
In the company’s own words
What this company does
The Hershey Company was incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on October 24, 1927 as a successor to a business founded in 1894 by Milton S. Hershey. In this report, the terms "Hershey," "Company," "we," "us" or "our" mean The Hershey Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries and entities in which it has a controlling financial interest, unless the context indicates otherwise.
Hershey is a global confectionery leader known for making more moments of goodness through chocolate, sweets, mints, and other great tasting snacks. We are the largest producer of quality chocolate in North America, a leading snack maker in the United States and a global leader in chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery. We market, sell, and distribute our products under more than 85 brand names in approximately 65 countries worldwide.
The Company reports its operations through three segments: (i) North America Confectionery, (ii) North America Salty Snacks and (iii) International. This organizational structure aligns with how our Chief Operating Decision Maker ("CODM") manages our business, including resource allocation and performance assessment, and further aligns with our product categories and the key markets we serve.
North America Confectionery – This segment is responsible for our traditional chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery market position in the United States and Canada. This includes our business in chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery, gum and refreshment products, protein bars, spreads, snack bites and mixes, as well as pantry and food service lines. This segment also includes our retail operations, including Hershey’s Chocolate World stores in Hershey, Pennsylvania; New York, New York; Las Vegas, Nevada; Niagara Falls (Ontario) and Singapore, as well as operations associated with licensing the use of certain of the Company’s trademarks and products to third parties around the world.
Quoted from the business section of this company’s 10-K filed February 17, 2026. Read the filing
Four distinct intelligence areas
The IA view
Risk Intelligence
Production core
59
Fundamentally Qualified
+7.2 vs Jun 30, 2026
Business Quality qualification score from the locked IA Defensive Research Core. Price Risk stays a separate category and is never blended in.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Long-Term Potential
Research model
52
Ordinary Compounder
+3.7 vs Jun 30, 2026
Durable business economics and reinvestment characteristics. Independent external validation is pending.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Fundamental Momentum
Research model
51
Middle
-0.7 vs Jun 30, 2026
Direction and breadth of change in underlying business fundamentals. Not a price-momentum signal.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Elite Investor Activity
Supplemental
90
Upper range
0 vs Jun 30, 2026
Only 5 tracked managers disclosed a position — treat as limited coverage.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Company intelligence
HSY score history
Each area is measured and reported separately. No combined score exists.
HSY intelligence history from 2023-09-30 to 2026-09-11. Risk Intelligence 59 on 2026-09-11, up 7.2 from 51.8 on 2026-06-30. Long-Term Potential 51.7 on 2026-09-11, up 3.7 from 48 on 2026-06-30. Fundamental Momentum 51.2 on 2026-09-11, down 0.7 from 51.9 on 2026-06-30. Elite Investor Activity 90 on 2026-09-11, unchanged 0 from 90 on 2026-06-30. Each area is reported separately and is never combined into a single score.
Risk Intelligence 59 as of Sep 11, 2026 (+7.2 vs prior period) · Production core
Long-Term Potential 51.7 as of Sep 11, 2026 (+3.7 vs prior period) · Research model
Fundamental Momentum 51.2 as of Sep 11, 2026 (-0.7 vs prior period) · Research model
Elite Investor Activity 90 as of Sep 11, 2026 (0 vs prior period) · Supplemental
Share price
HSY price history
Closing prices adjusted for splits and dividends. Past prices do not indicate future results.
- 6M change
- -18.3%
- 1Y change
- -3.8%
- 3Y change
- -9.6%
- 5Y change
- +12.0%
- Max change
- +41.7%
Last stored close $173.32 · -3.8% over the selected range · 52 sessions shown
Balanced evidence
Why IA likes it
- Business Quality meets the frozen IA Defensive qualification.
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
Risk and uncertainty
What IA doesn’t like
- No specific negative evidence is available. This is not evidence of low risk.
What would change our view
- Business Quality falling below the frozen qualification threshold.
- Price Risk moving to a less favorable category.
- A sustained reversal in the Fundamental Momentum research evidence.
- New material public ownership disclosures.
Public filings · descriptive only
Elite Investor Activity
Reporting holders
1
New holders
1
Increasing
0
Reducing
0
Exiting
0
Coverage
Excellent
Positive disclosed activity · Report period 2016-12-31 · Public 12/22/2023
| Manager | Change | Portfolio weight | Rank | Disclosed |
|---|
Insufficient high-confidence manager coverage.
Objective stored changes
What changed
- Risk Intelligence
Price Risk category changed
Price Risk moved from Not Available to Lower risk.
- Long-Term Potential
IA Compounder softened
IA Compounder research score moved from 48.0 to 39.4.
- Fundamental Momentum
Fundamental Momentum softened
Fundamental Momentum research score moved from 51.9 to 48.6.
- Risk Intelligence
IA Defensive weakened
Business Quality qualification score moved from 54.5 to 51.8.
- Long-Term Potential
IA Compounder strengthened
IA Compounder research score moved from 40.1 to 48.0.
- Fundamental Momentum
Fundamental Momentum improved
Fundamental Momentum research score moved from 23.8 to 51.9.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus strengthened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 50 to 90 for the reporting period ending 2026-06-30.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus weakened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 63 to 50 for the reporting period ending 2026-03-31.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus strengthened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 60 to 70 for the reporting period ending 2025-06-30.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus weakened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 88 to 60 for the reporting period ending 2025-03-31.
Ownership timeline
No high-confidence public ownership events are available.
General research only. Not personalized advice. Public filings may be delayed, amended, incomplete, or reflect positions that have changed since the reporting date.