B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG Buys 11,876 Shares of Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Key Points

• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG increased its stake in Hershey by 83.9%, buying 11,876 shares to hold 26,039 shares valued at about $4.74 million, while institutional investors now own roughly 57.96% of the company.
• Hershey beat quarterly estimates with $1.71 EPS (vs. $1.40 expected) and $3.09B revenue, set FY2026 guidance of 8.200–8.520 EPS, and analysts forecast ~8.38 EPS for the year.
• Hershey raised its quarterly dividend to $1.452 (annualized $5.81) for a ~3.0% yield133.64%, and company insiders have trimmed small portions of their holdings recently.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG lifted its holdings in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 83.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 26,039 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 11,876 shares during the period. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG's holdings in Hershey were worth $4,739,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC grew its holdings in Hershey by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 3,070 shares of the company's stock valued at $559,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. grew its holdings in Hershey by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. now owns 1,407 shares of the company's stock valued at $256,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. BSW Wealth Partners grew its holdings in Hershey by 5.1% during the 4th quarter. BSW Wealth Partners now owns 1,132 shares of the company's stock valued at $206,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Bellevue Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Hershey by 13.5% during the 3rd quarter. Bellevue Asset Management LLC now owns 514 shares of the company's stock valued at $96,000 after buying an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators grew its holdings in Hershey by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 798 shares of the company's stock valued at $149,000 after buying an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.

Hershey Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of HSY opened at $191.60 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.15, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.18. Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $150.04 and a 12-month high of $239.48. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $212.88 and a 200-day moving average price of $196.86.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.31. The firm had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.97 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 7.55% and a return on equity of 27.90%. The business's revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.69 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Hershey Company will post 8.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were paid a dividend of $1.452 per share. This is an increase from Hershey's previous quarterly dividend of $1.37. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 17th. Hershey's payout ratio is presently 133.64%.

More Hershey News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs initiated a Buy on HSY, providing a bullish bench of institutional support that can limit downside and attract buyers. The Hershey Company (HSY) Gets a Buy from Goldman Sachs
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley cut its price target from $247 to $227 but kept an Overweight rating—still implying material upside (about ~18% from current levels), which supports a constructive medium-term view. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: BTIG started coverage with a Neutral rating, praising Hershey's pricing, cost dynamics and international expansion but not yet enough to drive an upgrade. Why Are Wall Street Firms Cautious on The Hershey Company (HSY)
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary on a recent ~10% pullback frames HSY as either a dip to buy after a strong multi-year run or a signal of near-term volatility—investors are debating valuation vs. momentum. Is It Too Late To Consider Hershey (HSY) After Recent 10.7% Share Price Pullback?
• Neutral Sentiment: An executive stock-sale disclosure drew attention but didn't produce a clear directional signal—worth monitoring insider activity for follow-through. Did Hershey Shares Move After Exec Stock Sale Disclosure?
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and previews (Zacks/Yahoo) expect a decline in upcoming quarterly earnings and note Hershey lacks clear beat catalysts, raising short-term downside risk around the report. Analysts Estimate Hershey (HSY) to Report a Decline in Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Stifel and other commentators issued cautious/pessimistic views on HSY's near-term outlook, adding selling pressure amid concerns about volumes and margin trends in packaged foods. Stifel Nicolaus Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Hershey NYSE: HSY Stock Price
• Negative Sentiment: Broader consumer-staples commentary flags sector underperformance vs. the market, creating headwinds for brand names like Hershey if risk appetite stays tilted toward growth. 3 Consumer Stocks We Think Twice About

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on HSY shares. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $249.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on shares of Hershey from $212.00 to $200.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 30th. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Hershey from $240.00 to $225.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday, April 13th. They issued a "neutral" rating for the company. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Hershey from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $223.83.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total value of $452,140.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 41,036 shares in the company, valued at $9,277,008.52. The trade was a 4.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.10, for a total value of $291,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 57,695 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,198,599.50. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 10,000 shares of company stock valued at $2,189,090. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Hershey

The Hershey Company NYSE: HSY is a leading North American chocolatier and snack manufacturer headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The company develops, produces and markets a wide range of confectionery and snack products for retail, foodservice and international customers. Hershey's business spans manufacturing, branded product marketing, packaging and distribution across grocery, convenience, mass merchant and e-commerce channels.

Hershey's product portfolio centers on chocolate and sugar confectionery, including core brands such as Hershey's, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses and Twizzlers, alongside non-chocolate snacks and confectionery brands.

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