Hershey Company (The) $HSY Shares Purchased by Aberdeen Group plc

Key Points

• Aberdeen Group plc significantly increased its holdings in Hershey Company by 97.4% during the first quarter, now owning 102,924 shares valued at approximately $17.55 million.
• Recent analysts' reports indicate a consensus rating of "Hold" for Hershey stock, with various analysts raising their price targets, including Bank of America, which increased it from $175 to $208.
• The Hershey Company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $1.37 per share, representing an annualized yield of 3.1% based on its current stock price.

Aberdeen Group plc grew its holdings in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 97.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 102,924 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 50,781 shares during the quarter. Aberdeen Group plc owned approximately 0.05% of Hershey worth $17,550,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of HSY. Putney Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC bought a new position in Hershey during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Proffitt & Goodson Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Hershey by 129.5% in the 1st quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 179 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 101 shares during the period. Finally, Fort Vancouver Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the first quarter valued at $34,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Up 1.2%

HSY traded up $2.1160 on Friday, hitting $181.4760. 1,110,298 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,839,830. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. The company has a market cap of $36.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.38 and a beta of 0.27. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $176.01 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $169.08. Hershey Company has a twelve month low of $140.13 and a twelve month high of $208.03.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.23. Hershey had a return on equity of 37.36% and a net margin of 13.54%.The business had revenue of $2.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.50 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.27 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 26.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Hershey has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.809-5.997 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. Hershey's payout ratio is 72.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Michele Buck sold 19,290 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.00, for a total value of $3,742,260.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 193,624 shares of the company's stock, valued at $37,563,056. This represents a 9.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 974 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.11, for a total value of $153,025.14. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 2,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $470,387.34. This represents a 24.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 118,311 shares of company stock worth $20,931,348. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HSY has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Hershey from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 29th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on Hershey from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Hershey from $173.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Hershey from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on Hershey from $155.00 to $179.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $170.83.

About Hershey

The Hershey Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of confectionery products and pantry items in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: North America Confectionery, North America Salty Snacks, and International. It offers chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery products; gum and mint refreshment products, including mints, chewing gums, and bubble gums; protein bars; pantry items, such as baking ingredients, toppings, beverages, and sundae syrups; and snack items comprising spreads, bars, snack bites, mixes, popcorn, and pretzels.