Empowered Funds LLC Purchases New Stake in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new 31,569-share stake in Hershey during the second quarter, valued at approximately $5.54 million. Institutional investors collectively own 57.96% of the company.
• Hershey reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with $1.90 in earnings per share and $2.79 billion in revenue, up 6.6% year over year. The company issued full-year 2026 EPS guidance of $8.36–$8.52.
• Hershey declared a quarterly dividend of $1.452 per share, representing an annualized yield of about 3.2%. Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $204.78, compared with the stock’s reported price of $179.34.

Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 31,569 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,539,000.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Syon Capital LLC increased its position in Hershey by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Syon Capital LLC now owns 3,020 shares of the company's stock valued at $550,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the period. Haverford Trust Co boosted its stake in shares of Hershey by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Haverford Trust Co now owns 6,796 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,237,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of Hershey by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 2,561 shares of the company's stock valued at $466,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Venture Visionary Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Hershey by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Venture Visionary Partners LLC now owns 8,034 shares of the company's stock worth $1,462,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the period. Finally, Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC lifted its holdings in Hershey by 4.3% in the fourth quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 1,325 shares of the company's stock worth $241,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Hershey Price Performance

HSY stock opened at $179.34 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $179.18 and a 200-day moving average price of $194.29. Hershey Company has a 52-week low of $161.43 and a 52-week high of $239.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.50, a PEG ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a current ratio of 1.18.

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

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $1.452 dividend. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is currently 79.23%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HSY has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. DA Davidson set a $190.00 target price on Hershey in a report on Friday, July 31st. Barclays dropped their price target on Hershey from $208.00 to $200.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Hershey from $215.00 to $180.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Hershey from $191.00 to $193.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on Hershey from $212.00 to $206.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $204.78.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, July 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total transaction of $255,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 53,195 shares in the company, valued at $9,043,150. This trade represents a 2.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.08% of the company's stock.

Hershey 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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