Boston Trust Walden Corp Decreases Stock Position in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Key Points

• Boston Trust Walden Corp has reduced its ownership in Hershey Company by 25.3%, selling 31,120 shares to hold a total of 92,067 shares worth approximately $15.3 million.
• Recent insider sales were reported, with CEO Michele Buck selling 19,290 shares, reducing her ownership by 9.06%, and an insider named Rohit Grover selling 1,334 shares, reflecting a 3.39% decrease in their stake.
• Hershey's stock hit a current price of $189.64, with the company recently reporting earnings of $1.21 per share, exceeding estimates, alongside a quarterly dividend payment of $1.37 per share.

Boston Trust Walden Corp lowered its position in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 25.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 92,067 shares of the company's stock after selling 31,120 shares during the period. Boston Trust Walden Corp's holdings in Hershey were worth $15,279,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in HSY. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 7.7% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,909 shares of the company's stock worth $1,011,000 after purchasing an additional 420 shares in the last quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the first quarter worth $336,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 12.3% during the first quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 696 shares of the company's stock worth $119,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 8.8% during the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 182,228 shares of the company's stock worth $31,166,000 after purchasing an additional 14,738 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sowell Financial Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 25.2% during the first quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC now owns 12,996 shares of the company's stock worth $2,223,000 after purchasing an additional 2,618 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hershey news, insider Rohit Grover sold 1,334 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, July 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total value of $240,120.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 38,068 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,852,240. This trade represents a 3.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Michele Buck sold 19,290 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, July 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total value of $3,472,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 193,624 shares in the company, valued at $34,852,320. This represents a 9.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 65,704 shares of company stock worth $12,206,910 over the last ninety days. 0.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY opened at $189.64 on Wednesday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $186.16 and its 200 day moving average price is $174.40. Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $140.13 and a 12-month high of $208.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $38.44 billion, a PE ratio of 25.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.57 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 0.89.

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, topping 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 firm had revenue of $2.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.50 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.27 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 26.0% on a year-over-year basis. Hershey has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.809-5.997 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 15th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th were paid a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 72.78%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Mizuho increased their target price on Hershey from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, July 28th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Hershey from $173.00 to $189.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Hershey in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $187.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Hershey from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 2nd. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane upgraded Hershey from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, September 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $175.89.

Hershey Profile

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.

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