Hershey Bears the Brunt as Semis Slip

Analysts delivered a string of downgrades Friday, with consumer staples and semiconductors taking the most heat.

The Hershey Company suffered the sharpest consensus cut of the session. The average analyst target slipped to $188.40 from $192.15. The hold count rose while buy ratings fell, leaving Hershey facing its weakest analyst standing in months. Cocoa input costs remain the persistent drag on sentiment.

KLA Corporation was downgraded on the semiconductor equipment side. Its consensus target holds at $225.08, but the buy count dropped by one while holds increased. The move adds to pressure across the chip tools space, where export controls and inventory digestion continue to weigh on near-term earnings visibility.

Boston Scientific Corporation also saw a formal downgrade. Its average target eased to $51.53 from $51.88, and the number of buy ratings fell to 20 from 21.

On the brighter side, Mastercard Incorporated drew a fresh target lift to $680.90. Its buy count holds at 36, the largest on the list. Quanta Services saw its target nudge higher to $765.49. Infrastructure spending remains the tailwind.

Norwegian Cruise Line received a target bump to $18.88, one of the few leisure names to attract upward revisions this week.

Cognizant Technology Solutions also got a modest target increase to $69.50, suggesting IT services demand is holding up despite macro uncertainty in Europe, where German unemployment hit a ten-year September high of 4.1% this month.