Dearborn Partners LLC Takes Position in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Key Points

• Dearborn Partners acquired 12,574 Hershey shares worth approximately $2.2 million in the second quarter, while several other institutional investors also initiated positions. Hedge funds and institutional investors collectively own 57.96% of HSY.
• Hershey exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.90 in earnings per share versus the $1.43 consensus estimate and $2.79 billion in revenue, up 6.6% year over year.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with a $204.78 price target, while Hershey declared a quarterly dividend of $1.452 per share, equivalent to a 3.2% annualized yield.

Dearborn Partners LLC acquired a new position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 12,574 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,206,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HSY. Equitable Holdings Inc. acquired a new stake in Hershey during the second quarter worth $7,860,000. Centaurus Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 2nd quarter valued at $141,000. Coastal Bridge Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 2nd quarter valued at $640,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the 2nd quarter worth $603,000. Finally, Blue Edge Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the 2nd quarter worth $353,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Hershey news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $255,000.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 53,195 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,043,150. This trade represents a 2.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on HSY. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $249.00 to $200.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $190.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $208.00 to $200.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Hershey from $220.00 to $200.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $240.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $204.78.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY stock opened at $180.99 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. Hershey Company has a 52 week low of $161.43 and a 52 week high of $239.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $36.36 billion, a PE ratio of 24.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 0.11. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $179.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $194.65.

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

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a dividend of $1.452 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $5.81 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is 79.23%.

Hershey Company Profile

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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