GQG Partners LLC Buys New Stake in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Key Points

• GQG Partners LLC acquired 2.77 million Hershey shares worth approximately $485.4 million, giving the firm a 1.38% stake. Institutional investors collectively own 57.96% of Hershey.
• Hershey reported quarterly EPS of $1.90, beating estimates of $1.43, while revenue reached $2.79 billion and rose 6.6% year over year. The company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $8.36–$8.52.
• Analysts maintain a generally cautious view, with a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $204.78. Hershey also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.452 per share, representing a 3.1% annualized yield.

GQG Partners LLC bought a new position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 2,766,786 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $485,436,000. GQG Partners LLC owned 1.38% of Hershey at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Syon Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Hershey by 1.5% in the fourth 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 last quarter. Haverford Trust Co boosted its stake in 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 during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in Hershey by 2.0% in the 4th 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 last quarter. Venture Visionary Partners LLC grew its holdings in Hershey by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Venture Visionary Partners LLC now owns 8,034 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,462,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC increased its position in Hershey by 4.3% in the 4th 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.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hershey news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 directly owned 53,195 shares in the company, valued at $9,043,150. This represents a 2.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HSY has been the subject of several research reports. Mizuho reduced their price objective on Hershey from $195.00 to $185.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Evercore set a $225.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. DA Davidson set a $190.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Hershey from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Hershey from $212.00 to $206.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Seven research 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 company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $204.78.

Hershey Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of HSY stock opened at $186.27 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $178.40 and a 200-day moving average of $195.50. The stock has a market cap of $37.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.11. Hershey Company has a 52-week low of $161.43 and a 52-week high of $239.48. 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 earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.90 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.43 by $0.47. The business had revenue of $2.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.63 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 12.24% and a return on equity of 31.92%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.21 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.360-8.520 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 8.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $1.452 per share. This represents a $5.81 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 79.37%.

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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