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The Hershey Company (HSY) Risk Analysis

Public companies are required to disclose risks that can affect the business and impact the stock. These disclosures are known as “Risk Factors”. Companies disclose these risks in their yearly (Form 10-K), quarterly earnings (Form 10-Q), or “foreign private issuer” reports (Form 20-F). Risk factors show the challenges a company faces. Investors can consider the worst-case scenarios before making an investment. TipRanks’ Risk Analysis categorizes risks based on proprietary classification algorithms and machine learning. The Hershey Company disclosed 15 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. The Hershey Company reported the most risks in the “Production” category.

Risk Overview Q2, 2026

Source: the company's latest filing for the period ended Jun 28, 2026, filed Jul 30, 2026

Risk Distribution
15Risks
Sector Avg.Finance & CorporateTech & InnovationLegal & RegulatoryProductionAbility to SellMacro & Political
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy

Risk Change Over Time

The Hershey Company disclosed risks per quarterNo. of Risks14.751515.2515.515.751616.25Q3Q4Q12023Q2Q4Q12024Q2Q3Q4Q12025Q2Q3Q4Q12026Q2Showing: Q4, 2025
Risks removedRisks addedRisks changedThe Hershey Company Risk Factors
  • Regulation - Risk 1
    Changes in governmental laws, regulations and policies policies, including taxes and tariffs, could increase our costs and liabilities or impact demand for our products.

    Changes in U.S. and non-U.S. laws, regulations and policies and the manner in which they are interpreted or applied may alter our business environment. These negative impacts could result from changes in food and drug laws, laws related to advertising and marketing practices, accounting standards, taxation compliance and requirements, tariffs on U.S. imports and retaliatory tariffs in response, competition laws, employment laws, import/export requirements, AI, and environmental laws, among others. It is possible that we could become subject to additional liabilities in the future resulting from changes in laws and regulations that could result in an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. For example, the European Union's Deforestation Regulation ("EUDR") will require the Company to conduct extensive diligence on seven commodities, including cocoa, palm oil and soy, as well as products derived from these commodities, such as chocolate, and the value chain, to ensure the goods do not result from recent deforestation, forest degradation, or breaches of local laws in order to sell such products in the European Union market or exported from it. The EUDR is scheduled to be effective in December 2026, following a two-year postponement. The EUDR, and other current or proposed regulations in markets in which we operate, are likely to increase our compliance costs, could depress sales in such markets if our products are not in compliance by applicable effective dates, and can result in fines and penalties or reputational harm if we do not fully comply. Additionally, compliance with new and evolving laws, regulations or industry standards relating to AI may require significant investment and resources, and may limit our ability to use AI, which may result in reputational harm, legal liability or other adverse effects on our operations and overall business.

Read and Evaluate the RiskReserved for Ultimate MembersUpgrade
Ability to Sell (1)
Macro & Political (2)

Risk Highlights Q2, 2026

Main Risk Category
Production
With 4 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
15
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 32
Recent Changes
0Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Jun 2026
Number of Risk Changed
0
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 1

Risk Word Cloud

complications with the design or implementation of our new enterprise resource planning system could adversely impact our business and operations.enterprise resource planning systemour international operations may not achieve projected growth objectives, which could adversely impact our overall business and results of operations.achieve projected growth objectivespolitical, economic and/or financial market conditions could negatively impact our financial results.negatively impact our financial resultsprice increases may not be sufficient to offset cost increases and maintain profitability or may result in sales volume declines associated with pricing elasticity.sufficient to offset cost increaseswe might not be able to hire, engage, and retain the talented global human capital we need to drive our growth strategies.to drive our growth strategiesdisruption to our manufacturing operations or supply chain could impair our ability to produce or deliver finished products, resulting in a negative impact on our operating results.impair our ability to producerisks associated with climate change and other environmental impacts, and increased focus and evolving views of our customers, stockholders and other stakeholders on environmental issues, could negatively affect our business and operations.evolving views of our customersdisruption to our manufacturing operations or supply chain could impair our ability to produce or deliver finished products, resulting in a negative impact on our operating results.disruption to our manufacturing operationsour company's reputation or brand image might be impacted as a result of issues, concerns or regulatory changes relating to the quality and safety of our products, ingredients or packaging, human and workplace rights, and other environmental, social or governance matters, which in turn could result in litigation or otherwise negatively impact our operating results.negatively impact our operating resultsour financial results may be adversely impacted by the failure to successfully execute or integrate acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures.failure to successfully execute

Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 15

Employment / Personnel1 | 6.7%
  • Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
    We might not be able to hire, engage, and retain the talented global human capital we need to drive our growth strategies.

    Our future success depends upon our ability to identify, hire, develop, engage, and retain talented personnel across the globe. Competition for global talent is intense, and we might not be able to identify and hire the personnel we need to continue to evolve and grow our business. In particular, if we are unable to hire the right individuals to fill new or existing senior management positions as vacancies arise, our business performance may be adversely impacted. Activities related to identifying, recruiting, hiring, and integrating qualified individuals require significant time and attention. We may also need to invest significant amounts of cash and equity to attract talented new employees, and we may never realize returns on these investments. In addition to hiring new employees, we must continue to focus on retaining and engaging the talented individuals we need to sustain our core business and lead our developing businesses into new markets, channels and categories. This may require significant investments in training, coaching and other career development and retention activities. If we are not able to effectively retain and grow our talent, our ability to achieve our strategic objectives will be adversely affected, which may negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations.

Supply Chain1 | 6.7%
Costs2 | 13.3%

See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.

FAQ

What are “Risk Factors”?
Risk factors are any situations or occurrences that could make investing in a company risky. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that publicly traded companies disclose their most significant risk factors. This is so that potential investors can consider any risks before they make an investment. They also offer companies protection, as a company can use risk factors as liability protection. This could happen if a company underperforms and investors take legal action as a result. It is worth noting that smaller companies, that is those with a public float of under $75 million on the last business day, do not have to include risk factors in their 10-K and 10-Q forms, although some may choose to do so.
How do companies disclose their risk factors?
Publicly traded companies initially disclose their risk factors to the SEC through their S-1 filings as part of the IPO process. Additionally, companies must provide a complete list of risk factors in their Annual Reports (Form 10-K) or (Form 20-F) for “foreign private issuers”. Quarterly Reports also include a section on risk factors (Form 10-Q) where companies are only required to update any changes since the previous report. According to the SEC, risk factors should be reported concisely, logically and in “plain English” so investors can understand them.
How can I use TipRanks risk factors in my stock research?
Use the Risk Factors tab to get data about the risk factors of any company in which you are considering investing. You can easily see the most significant risks a company is facing. Additionally, you can find out which risk factors a company has added, removed or adjusted since its previous disclosure. You can also see how a company’s risk factors compare to others in its sector. Without reading company reports or participating in conference calls, you would most likely not have access to this sort of information, which is usually not included in press releases or other public announcements. A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.
What are all the risk factor categories?
TipRanks has identified 6 major categories of risk factors and a number of subcategories for each. You can see how these categories are broken down in the list below. 1. Financial & Corporate Accounting & Financial Operations - risks related to accounting loss, value of intangible assets, financial statements, value of intangible assets, financial reporting, estimates, guidance, company profitability, dividends, fluctuating results. Share Price & Shareholder Rights – risks related to things that impact share prices and the rights of shareholders, including analyst ratings, major shareholder activity, trade volatility, liquidity of shares, anti-takeover provisions, international listing, dual listing. Debt & Financing – risks related to debt, funding, financing and interest rates, financial investments. Corporate Activity and Growth – risks related to restructuring, M&As, joint ventures, execution of corporate strategy, strategic alliances. 2. Legal & Regulatory Litigation and Legal Liabilities – risks related to litigation/ lawsuits against the company. Regulation – risks related to compliance, GDPR, and new legislation. Environmental / Social – risks related to environmental regulation and to data privacy. Taxation & Government Incentives – risks related to taxation and changes in government incentives. 3. Production Costs – risks related to costs of production including commodity prices, future contracts, inventory. Supply Chain – risks related to the company’s suppliers. Manufacturing – risks related to the company’s manufacturing process including product quality and product recalls. Human Capital – risks related to recruitment, training and retention of key employees, employee relationships & unions labor disputes, pension, and post retirement benefits, medical, health and welfare benefits, employee misconduct, employee litigation. 4. Technology & Innovation Innovation / R&D – risks related to innovation and new product development. Technology – risks related to the company’s reliance on technology. Cyber Security – risks related to securing the company’s digital assets and from cyber attacks. Trade Secrets & Patents – risks related to the company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and to infringement claims against the company as well as piracy and unlicensed copying. 5. Ability to Sell Demand – risks related to the demand of the company’s goods and services including seasonality, reliance on key customers. Competition – risks related to the company’s competition including substitutes. Sales & Marketing – risks related to sales, marketing, and distribution channels, pricing, and market penetration. Brand & Reputation – risks related to the company’s brand and reputation. 6. Macro & Political Economy & Political Environment – risks related to changes in economic and political conditions. Natural and Human Disruptions – risks related to catastrophes, floods, storms, terror, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic/COVID-19. International Operations – risks related to the global nature of the company. Capital Markets – risks related to exchange rates and trade, cryptocurrency.