Hershey Trust Co, which serves as trustee for the Milton Hershey School, sold a total of 20,407 shares of Hershey Co (NASDAQ: HSY) common stock on April 9 and April 10, for an aggregate consideration of approximately $4.1 million, according to a Form 4 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The disposition took place in multiple blocks over the two days, with execution prices ranging from $202.4527 per share to $210.5392 per share.
Details of the April 9 transactions show several tranches:
- 82 shares sold at $207.6 each.
- 125 shares sold at a weighted average price of $208.9462 - the reported execution range for this tranche was $208.9104 to $208.9694.
- 2,531 shares sold at a weighted average price of $209.4443 - reported execution prices ranged from $209.0000 to $209.9984.
- 7,262 shares sold at a weighted average price of $210.5392 - the execution range for that block was $210.0128 to $210.8400.
On April 10, the trust continued to pare the position through further sales, which the filing itemizes as follows:
- 3,765 shares at a weighted average price of $202.4527 - reported prices in that tranche ranged from $202.2700 to $202.8999.
- 531 shares at a weighted average price of $203.457 - execution range $203.0458 to $203.8248.
- 734 shares at a weighted average price of $204.6319 - execution range $204.0521 to $204.9600.
- 2,178 shares at a weighted average price of $205.6473 - execution range $205.0049 to $205.9963.
- 1,630 shares at a weighted average price of $206.3807 - execution range $206.0010 to $206.8878.
- 853 shares at a weighted average price of $207.8119 - execution range $207.0072 to $207.9963.
- 26 shares at a price of $208.3294.
- 283 shares at a weighted average price of $210.4967 - execution range $210.3700 to $210.7900.
Following the two-day selling activity, Hershey Trust Co still directly holds 1,876,119 shares of Hershey Co common stock and indirectly owns an additional 39,630 shares. The trust also maintains a large stake of Class B Common Stock - 54,612,012 shares - each convertible on a share-for-share basis into common stock.
Hershey Co currently trades with a market capitalization of $40.1 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 46, reflecting elevated valuation multiples relative to many peers. Analysis cited in the filing flags that, based on Fair Value calculations, the shares appear overvalued at current levels.
Other items in the company backdrop include its track record of shareholder distributions: Hershey has paid dividends for 56 consecutive years and its current yield stands at 2.87%, as noted in the related research commentary.
Investor attention to Hershey has also come through analyst coverage following the company's recent investor day. Management reiterated its fiscal 2026 guidance and outlined growth strategies for its confection and snacking categories while setting expectations for earnings trajectory. The company expects earnings per share growth of 15% to 20% in fiscal 2027.
Several brokerages updated their views and price targets in the wake of the investor day. TD Cowen kept a Hold rating and set a $210 price target, citing possible upside tied to the company's 2027 EPS growth expectations. DA Davidson trimmed its price target to $230 from $243, attributing the adjustment to concerns about peer group multiple contraction while retaining a Neutral rating. UBS lowered its price target to $215 from $236 on valuation grounds and held a Neutral stance. Stifel reiterated its Hold rating with a $230 price target, aligning with the strategic outlook the company presented at investor day.
The Form 4 filing documents the trustee's sales and the residual holdings; it does not provide commentary on intent beyond the record of executed trades. The mix of the trust's remaining direct and indirect common shares and its substantial Class B convertible stake leaves it with continued ownership exposure to Hershey Co.
Key context and metrics highlighted in this report are drawn from the Form 4 filing and accompanying analyst notes.