Hershey (NYSE: HSY) Stock: Trust Reports Share Sales Ahead of Q3 Earnings

• The Hershey Trust Company reported additional share sales under a predetermined trading plan while retaining voting control of Hershey (NYSE: HSY).

• Hershey will report third-quarter results on October 29, 2026, giving investors further insight into Halloween-season demand following substantial price increases.

• Second-quarter sales and adjusted earnings increased, but an approximately 8% decline in volume showed continued pressure on consumer demand.

Hershey (NYSE: HSY), the maker of Hershey's chocolate, Reese's and other snacks, has a longstanding connection to Milton Hershey School. In 1918, founder Milton Hershey transferred 5,000 shares, then valued at approximately $60 million, to a trust benefiting the school. The school and its trust reported approximately $23.6 billion in total assets for the fiscal year ended July 2025.

A regulatory filing reported that the Hershey Trust Company sold 1,512 common shares on October 16 at a weighted-average price of approximately $171.26 as part of a broader series of transactions. The filing showed 566,120 directly held common shares after the reported sales.

However, the trust also holds approximately 54.6 million Class B shares, which carry enhanced voting rights and allow it to retain control of Hershey. The common-share sales were made under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan and should not necessarily be interpreted as a negative view of the company's prospects.

Hershey is scheduled to report third-quarter results on October 29. Investors will be watching whether higher candy prices affected consumer demand during the important Halloween selling season.

In the second quarter, net sales increased 6.6% to $2.79 billion, while adjusted earnings per share rose 57% to $1.90. Pricing increased approximately 12%, offsetting an 8% decline in sales volume.

Hershey raised the lower end of its 2026 adjusted earnings forecast and now expects $8.36-$8.52 per share, compared with its previous range of $8.20-$8.52. The company also increased the lower end of its sales-growth forecast to 4.5%, resulting in a new range of 4.5%-5.0%.