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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON , D.C. 20549 FORM 10 - K ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31 , 2020 OR TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Commission file number 1-183 HERSHEY THE HERSHEY COMPANY ( Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter ) Delaware ( State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization ) 19 East Chocolate Avenue , Hershey , PA 17033 ( Address of principal executive offices and Zip Code ) ( 717 ) 534-4200 ( Registrant's telephone number , including area code ) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( b ) of the Act : Title of each class Common Stock , one dollar par value Trading Symbol ( s ) ( I.R.S. Employer Identification No. ) HSY 23-0691590 Name of each exchange on which registered New York Stock Exchange Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( g ) of the Act : Class B Common Stock , one dollar par value Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well - known seasoned issuer , as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act . Yes No Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 ( d ) of the Act . Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant ( 1 ) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 ( d ) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports ) , and ( 2 ) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days . Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S - T ( §232.405 of this chapter ) during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files ) . Yes > No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer , an accelerated filer , a non - accelerated filer , a smaller reporting company , or an emerging growth company . See the definitions of " large accelerated filer , " " accelerated filer , " " smaller reporting company " and " emerging growth company " in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act . Large accelerated filer > Accelerated filer □ Non - accelerated filer Smaller reporting company Emerging growth company 0 If an emerging growth company , indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13 ( a ) of the Exchange Act . Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 ( b ) of the Sarbanes - Oxley Act ( 15 Ŭ.S.C. 7262 ( b ) ) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report . < Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company ( as defined in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act ) . Yes No As of June 26 , 2020 ( the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter ) , the aggregate market value of the voting and non - voting common equity held by non - affiliates was $ 18,511,997,783 . Class B Common Stock is not listed for public trading on any exchange or market system . However , Class B shares are convertible into shares of Common Stock at any time on a share - for share basis . Determination of aggregate market value assumes all outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock were converted to Common Stock as of June 26 , 2020. The market value indicated is calculated based on the closing price of the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on June 26 , 2020 ( $ 125.85 per share ) . Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant's classes of common stock , as of the latest practicable date . Common Stock , one dollar par value - 146,551,766 shares , as of February 12 , 2021 . Class B Common Stock , one dollar par value - 60,613,777 shares , as of February 12 , 2021 . DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Portions of the Company's Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10 - K .