Andra AP fonden Increases Position in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Key Points

• Andra AP fonden increased its Hershey stake by 272.2% in the second quarter, adding 66,699 shares to own 91,199 shares valued at approximately $16 million. Institutional investors collectively own 57.96% of HSY.
• Hershey reported quarterly earnings of $1.90 per share, exceeding the $1.43 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 6.6% year over year to $2.79 billion. The company guided to fiscal 2026 EPS of $8.36–$8.52.
• Hershey pays an annualized dividend of $5.81, yielding about 3.5%. Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $204.78, compared with shares trading near $168.29.

Andra AP fonden grew its position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 272.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 91,199 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 66,699 shares during the quarter. Andra AP fonden's holdings in Hershey were worth $16,001,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter worth about $9,633,000. Prudential PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 237.3% in the 4th quarter. Prudential PLC now owns 7,988 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,454,000 after purchasing an additional 5,620 shares during the last quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at about $2,744,000. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 126.4% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 84,215 shares of the company's stock valued at $17,508,000 after purchasing an additional 47,017 shares during the period. Finally, OP Asset Management Ltd purchased a new position in Hershey during the 1st quarter worth approximately $3,182,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY opened at $168.29 on Wednesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $177.66 and a 200-day simple moving average of $187.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. The company has a market capitalization of $33.81 billion, a PE ratio of 22.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.11. Hershey Company has a 52-week low of $161.43 and a 52-week high of $239.48.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.43 by $0.47. The company had revenue of $2.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.63 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 12.24% and a return on equity of 31.92%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.21 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.360-8.520 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Hershey Company will post 8.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th were issued a $1.452 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. This represents a $5.81 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.5%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is 79.37%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Steven Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, July 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $255,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 53,195 shares in the company, valued at $9,043,150. This trade represents a 2.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.08% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on HSY shares. Evercore set a $225.00 price target on Hershey in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Barclays decreased their price objective on Hershey from $208.00 to $200.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $191.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, July 31st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Hershey from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Hershey from $212.00 to $206.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $204.78.

Hershey Profile

The Hershey Company is a global confectionery and snack manufacturer headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Its portfolio includes chocolate, non-chocolate confectionery, salty snacks and pantry products sold under brands such as Hershey's, Reese's, Kit Kat, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, SkinnyPop and Dot's.

Milton S. Hershey founded the company in 1894, and its milk chocolate business helped establish Hershey, Pennsylvania, as a center of American chocolate production. The company has expanded beyond its original chocolate offerings through product development, licensing arrangements and acquisitions in the confectionery and snack categories.

Hershey serves consumers primarily in the United States and Canada and markets its products internationally through retail, e-commerce and other distribution channels.

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