Haverford Trust Co Makes New $1.16 Million Investment in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Key Points

• Haverford Trust purchased 6,635 Hershey shares worth approximately $1.16 million in the second quarter, while institutional investors collectively own 57.96% of the company.
• Hershey reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.90 versus the $1.43 consensus estimate and revenue up 6.6% year over year to $2.79 billion.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.452 per share, equivalent to an annualized $5.81 dividend and a 3.1% yield; analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with a $204.78 price target.

Haverford Trust Co bought a new position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 6,635 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,164,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in Hershey by 6.5% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,310 shares of the company's stock worth $2,618,000 after acquiring an additional 937 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Hershey by 20.2% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 697 shares of the company's stock valued at $116,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL bought a new position in shares of Hershey during the second quarter valued at approximately $267,000. Bank of Nova Scotia lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 4.5% during the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 17,927 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,975,000 after purchasing an additional 769 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 5.4% in the 2nd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 22,247 shares of the company's stock worth $3,692,000 after purchasing an additional 1,149 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In other Hershey news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $255,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 53,195 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,043,150. This trade represents a 2.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.08% of the company's stock.

Hershey Trading Down 1.1%

NYSE:HSY opened at $186.27 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $37.43 billion, a PE ratio of 25.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.11. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $178.40 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $195.50. Hershey Company has a 12 month low of $161.43 and a 12 month high of $239.48.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.90 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $2.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.63 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.21 EPS. The company's 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. Research analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 8.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a $1.452 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is currently 79.37%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on HSY shares. Jefferies Financial Group set a $190.00 price target on Hershey in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Hershey from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Barclays dropped their target price on Hershey from $208.00 to $200.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 3rd. UBS Group increased their target price on Hershey from $190.00 to $198.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated a "market perform" rating and set a $201.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, July 31st. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $204.78.

About Hershey

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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