Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI Raises Stake in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Key Points

• Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI boosted its stake in The Hershey Company by 84.1% in Q4 to 20,330 shares (worth about $3.7M); institutional investors now own 57.96% of HSY, with Vanguard holding roughly 19.07M shares.
• Hershey beat Q1 estimates—EPS $2.35 vs. $2.04 and revenue $3.10B vs. $3.03B—and declared a quarterly dividend of $1.452 per share (annualized $5.81, ~3.2% yield), although management flagged margin pressure from rising input and freight costs.

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI boosted its position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 84.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 20,330 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 9,286 shares during the quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI's holdings in Hershey were worth $3,700,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of HSY. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in Hershey by 240.0% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,262,671 shares of the company's stock worth $236,183,000 after buying an additional 891,287 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Hershey by 121.2% in the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,104,299 shares of the company's stock worth $206,559,000 after buying an additional 605,048 shares in the last quarter. Candlestick Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Hershey in the third quarter worth approximately $64,469,000. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Hershey in the third quarter worth approximately $44,464,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Hershey by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 19,067,235 shares of the company's stock worth $3,469,855,000 after buying an additional 191,671 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY stock opened at $182.32 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.24. Hershey Company has a fifty-two week low of $150.04 and a fifty-two week high of $239.48. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $210.21 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $196.68. The company has a market capitalization of $36.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.01, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.07.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $2.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.04 by $0.31. Hershey had a return on equity of 28.98% and a net margin of 9.12%.The firm had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.09 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 10.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Hershey Company will post 8.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.452 per share. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is currently 133.87%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Hershey in a research note on Monday, April 13th. They issued a "neutral" rating for the company. Stephens boosted their price objective on Hershey from $200.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. DA Davidson set a $243.00 price objective on Hershey in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on Hershey from $230.00 to $215.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Hershey from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $220.56.

Trending Headlines about Hershey

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results topped estimates: Hershey reported stronger-than-expected revenue and adjusted EPS, driven by pricing and cost pass-through, which supports near-term top-line durability. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: GLP‑1 tailwind for mints/gum: Management said rising use of GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs is boosting demand for mints and gum (Ice Breakers), a growing, higher‑margin category offsetting some snack weakness. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase/confirmation: Hershey declared its quarterly dividend ($1.452/share), supporting income investors and signaling confidence in cash flow. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings-call color — innovation and seasonal help: Management cited strong Easter sales and innovation/premiumization gains (luxury chocolate initiatives), which support medium‑term brand momentum but are not immediate growth guarantees. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure from higher input and freight costs: Several coverage pieces and the company commentary highlight rising costs that compressed margins despite the beat — a key reason investors are less enthused. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Softer guidance focus: Although Hershey reaffirmed 2026 guidance, investors fixated on slightly softer near‑term wording and demand uncertainty, which trimmed sentiment after the print. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst reactions trimmed optimism: Multiple firms kept neutral/hold stances or lowered price targets (Barclays, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, BTIG maintained/adjusted coverage), reflecting concerns about near‑term demand elasticity and a premium valuation — adding selling pressure. Read More. Read More. Read More.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.10, for a total transaction of $291,150.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 57,695 shares in the company, valued at $11,198,599.50. This represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total value of $452,140.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 41,036 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,277,008.52. This represents a 4.65% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 10,000 shares of company stock worth $2,189,090 over the last quarter. 0.08% of the stock is owned by corporate 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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