The Hershey Company (HSY) Investor Day 2026 summary

Strategic vision and growth priorities

• Focus on leading next-generation snacking by expanding core confectionery leadership, accelerating growth in salty snacks, and driving international expansion in key markets like Mexico, Europe, the U.K., and Brazil.

• Three-pillar strategy: Next Gen Portfolio (innovation and brand building), Retail of the Future (integrated commercial model), and Modern Supply Chain (agility and resilience), with emphasis on consumer obsession, customer partnerships, and colleague development.

• Investments in brand innovation, technology, and supply chain modernization to enable agility and efficiency, leveraging AI and digital capabilities for growth.

• ONE Hershey commercial model integrates sweet, salty, and functional portfolios for unified retail execution, investment efficiency, and customer engagement.

• Purpose-driven approach to create more moments of goodness, resonating with evolving consumer needs for joy and meaningful interactions.

Financial guidance and performance outlook

• Organic net revenue growth targeted at 2%-4% for 2026 and 2027, with double-digit EPS growth during margin recovery and 6%-8% EPS growth from 2028 onward.

• Margin expansion expected post-2027, leveraging productivity, technology, premiumization, and network optimization.

• Free cash flow projected to exceed $1.8B by 2028, supporting reinvestment, disciplined M&A, and consistent dividend growth.

• Transformation program to deliver $400M in net savings (2024-2026) and $110M in annual productivity savings, with sustainable tech-enabled productivity as a future growth lever.

• 2026 projected adjusted EPS of $8.20-$8.52, up 30-35% from 2025.

Portfolio and innovation strategy

• Core brands (Reese’s, Hershey’s) are outperforming, with plans to scale Dot’s, Kit Kat, Ice Breakers, and Jolly Rancher to $1B+ brands and robust innovation pipeline focused on premiumization, functional benefits, and customization.

• Velocity Labs and AI-driven content generation accelerate product development and market responsiveness.

• R&D investment increased by 25% to enhance product quality, nutrition science, and technical capabilities.

• Portfolio diversification targets over 40% of future sales from high-growth platforms such as better-for-you, premium, functional, salty, and international.

• Selective M&A to accelerate entry into new categories and add technical capabilities, with recent acquisitions in salty and functional snacking.