Gitterman Wealth Management LLC Invests $368,000 in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Key Points

• Gitterman Wealth Management LLC acquired a stake in Hershey Company, purchasing 2,151 shares worth approximately $368,000 during the first quarter of the year.
• Insider transactions have seen significant activity, with CFO Steven E. Voskuil selling 5,000 shares, decreasing his position by 7.54%, while insiders have collectively sold shares worth about $20.9 million over the past three months.
• Hershey recently reported earnings that exceeded analysts' expectations, with a revenue of $2.61 billion and EPS of $1.21, leading to a positive revision of its fiscal year guidance to between $5.809 and $5.997.

Gitterman Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 2,151 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $368,000.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Putney Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Proffitt & Goodson Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the first quarter worth approximately $28,000. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Hershey by 129.5% during the first quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 179 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. Finally, Fort Vancouver Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the first quarter worth approximately $34,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of Hershey stock traded up $2.1160 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $181.4760. 1,110,298 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,641,025. 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 $36.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.10, a PEG ratio of 4.39 and a beta of 0.27. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $176.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $169.62. 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 earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.50 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.27 EPS. The business's revenue was up 26.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Hershey has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.809-5.997 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 72.78%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HSY has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen raised Hershey from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 2nd. Barclays increased their price target on Hershey from $165.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, August 1st. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Hershey from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on Hershey from $178.00 to $175.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Bank of America increased their price target on Hershey from $175.00 to $208.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $170.83.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP James Turoff sold 1,300 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.00, for a total transaction of $227,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 25,321 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,431,175. This represents a 4.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Michele Buck sold 19,290 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.00, for a total value of $3,742,260.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 193,624 shares of the company's stock, valued at $37,563,056. The trade was a 9.06% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 118,311 shares of company stock worth $20,931,348. 0.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hershey Company 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.