Hershey Company (The) $HSY Stock Holdings Lowered by Gulf International Bank UK Ltd

Key Points

• Gulf International Bank UK Ltd sold **3,669 shares** of Hershey Company, reducing its stake by **31.9%**, leaving it with **7,849 shares** valued at approximately **$1.34 million**.
• Hershey recently reported a **26% increase** in revenue year-over-year, with earnings per share of **$1.21**, surpassing analysts' expectations by **$0.23**.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of **$1.37** per share, indicating an annualized dividend of **$5.48** and a yield of **3.1%**, with a payout ratio of **72.78%**.

Gulf International Bank UK Ltd reduced its stake in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 31.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 7,849 shares of the company's stock after selling 3,669 shares during the period. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd's holdings in Hershey were worth $1,342,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Kennon Green & Company LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 33.3% in the 1st quarter. Kennon Green & Company LLC now owns 43,146 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,379,000 after buying an additional 10,784 shares during the period. William Allan Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 173.1% in the 1st quarter. William Allan Corp now owns 18,593 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,180,000 after buying an additional 11,785 shares during the period. IFM Investors Pty Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 9.5% in the 1st quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 31,925 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,460,000 after buying an additional 2,757 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 8.1% in the 1st quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 18,625 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,186,000 after buying an additional 1,390 shares during the period. Finally, Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 1st quarter valued at about $55,269,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hershey Stock Performance

Hershey stock traded down $2.1850 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $179.4050. 204,440 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,838,279. Hershey Company has a fifty-two week low of $140.13 and a fifty-two week high of $208.03. The firm has a market cap of $36.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.82, a PEG ratio of 4.36 and a beta of 0.27. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $175.87 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $168.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.21 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.23. Hershey had a net margin of 13.54% and a return on equity of 37.36%. The company had revenue of $2.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.50 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.27 EPS. Hershey's revenue was up 26.0% on a year-over-year basis. Hershey has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.809-5.997 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. Hershey's payout ratio is 72.78%.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other Hershey news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 974 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.11, for a total transaction of $153,025.14. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 2,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $470,387.34. The trade was a 24.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Michele Buck sold 19,290 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.00, for a total transaction of $3,742,260.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 193,624 shares in the company, valued at $37,563,056. This trade represents a 9.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 118,311 shares of company stock worth $20,931,348 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on HSY shares. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Hershey from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Hershey from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 2nd. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Hershey from $173.00 to $189.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Hershey in a research note on Wednesday. They set a "neutral" rating and a $187.00 target price for the company. Finally, Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Hershey from $175.00 to $208.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $170.83.

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.