Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Raises Holdings in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Key Points

• Dimensional Fund Advisors raised its Hershey stake by 5.2% to 1,141,790 shares (about 0.56%), valuing its position at roughly $213.5 million, while institutional investors own about 57.96% of the company.
• Hershey beat quarterly expectations, reporting $1.71 EPS vs. $1.40 expected and $3.09B in revenue vs. $2.97B, and set FY 2026 guidance of $8.20–$8.52 per share; the stock trades at a high multiple (P/E ~51.9) and near its 1‑year high.
• Insiders have been selling (10,000 shares sold in the last 90 days, including SVP and CFO transactions), even as Hershey raised its quarterly dividend to $1.452 ($5.81 annualized) with a payout ratio of about 134%.

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,141,790 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 56,675 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 0.56% of Hershey worth $213,540,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HSY. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 6.5% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,310 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,618,000 after acquiring an additional 937 shares during the period. Crestwood Advisors Group LLC grew its position in shares of Hershey by 15.1% during the second quarter. Crestwood Advisors Group LLC now owns 2,441 shares of the company's stock worth $405,000 after acquiring an additional 320 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 12.3% in the 2nd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 567 shares of the company's stock valued at $94,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares during the period. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp purchased a new stake in Hershey in the 2nd quarter valued at $476,000. Finally, Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its position in Hershey by 6.3% in the 2nd quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 61,174 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,160,000 after purchasing an additional 3,631 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In other Hershey news, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total transaction of $452,140.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 41,036 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,277,008.52. The trade was a 4.65% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.66, for a total value of $329,490.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 50,819 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,162,901.54. This trade represents a 2.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 10,000 shares of company stock valued at $2,153,645. 0.34% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY opened at $225.13 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $45.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.19. Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $150.04 and a 1 year high of $239.48. The company's fifty day moving average is $207.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $192.04.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.31. The company had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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 quarter last year, the business earned $2.69 EPS. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a $1.452 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. 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 yield of 2.6%. Hershey's payout ratio is 133.87%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Argus raised shares of Hershey to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and issued a $250.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, February 6th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Hershey from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Mizuho raised their price target on Hershey from $165.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on Hershey from $210.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Hershey has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $222.21.

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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