Hershey stock holds after a $2.79 billion quarter

Hershey stock has a fresh earnings backdrop after second-quarter revenue of $2.79 billion and EPS of $1.90. Shares ended at $183.67 on August 18, 2026, with a $36.91 billion market value.

Hershey Company (US4278661081) is trading off a second-quarter backdrop that included $2.79 billion in revenue and $1.90 in earnings per share, both for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. The stock closed at $183.67 on August 18, 2026, and the company carried a market capitalization of $36.91 billion at that point.

Quarterly numbers

The latest quarter also showed a sharp year-over-year lift in sales, with revenue up 6.6% from the prior-year period and EPS up from $1.21 a year earlier. That gap mattered because the quarter beat the $1.43 consensus EPS estimate by $0.47 and the $2.63 billion revenue estimate by $160 million.

Adjusted guidance for fiscal 2026 stays in view too, with EPS projected at $8.36 to $8.52. On that basis, the stock was trading at 25.09 times earnings and carried a dividend yield of 3.16% in the latest market snapshot.

Market setup

The shares traded between $161.43 and $239.48 over the past 52 weeks, a wide range that leaves room for the market to keep re-rating the quarter. Volume in the latest session was 960,052 shares, below the 1.59 million average shown in the same market snapshot.

For investors, the key comparison is simple: the quarter delivered 33.09% EPS surprise while the stock still sat well below the 52-week high of $239.48. That combination keeps earnings execution and margin discipline at the center of the debate.

Chocolate and snacks

Hershey's core business still rests on confectionery and snack brands that turn shelf space into repeat demand. The company's product mix matters because the earnings line above depends on both pricing power and volume resilience across its chocolate portfolio.

Shares and valuation

Hershey stock closed at $183.67 on August 18, 2026, after a 1.44% gain in the latest market snapshot. The same snapshot put the market cap at $36.91 billion and the 52-week range at $161.43 to $239.48.

Company: Hershey Company
ISIN: US4278661081
Ticker: HSY
Exchange: NYSE
Price (as of August 18, 2026, 4:00 p.m. ET): $183.67 USD
Market cap: $36.91 billion (as of August 18, 2026)
Sector / Industry: Consumer Staples / Confectionery
Index membership: S&P 500