Hershey Company (The) $HSY Shares Bought by Soltis Investment Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Soltis Investment Advisors increased its Hershey position by 12.6% in the third quarter, adding 6,986 shares to hold 62,470 shares valued at approximately $9.85 million. Institutional investors collectively own 57.96% of HSY.
• Hershey’s third-quarter results exceeded expectations, with earnings of $2.64 per share and revenue of $3.28 billion, up 3% year over year. The company also maintained its quarterly dividend at $1.452 per share, equivalent to a 3.6% annualized yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed and the stock faces demand concerns: HSY has a consensus “Hold” rating with a $200.57 price target, while weaker volumes, market-share losses and reduced organic sales-growth guidance weigh on the outlook.

Soltis Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 12.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 62,470 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 6,986 shares during the period. Soltis Investment Advisors LLC's holdings in Hershey were worth $9,846,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of HSY. Choreo LLC grew its position in Hershey by 7.1% during the third quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 3,399 shares of the company's stock valued at $536,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares in the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its stake in shares of Hershey by 6.7% in the third quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 14,119 shares of the company's stock worth $2,225,000 after acquiring an additional 887 shares during the last quarter. North Dakota State Investment Board increased its stake in shares of Hershey by 2.9% in the third quarter. North Dakota State Investment Board now owns 4,459 shares of the company's stock worth $703,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. AMI Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 6.0% during the third quarter. AMI Investment Management Inc. now owns 11,600 shares of the company's stock worth $1,828,000 after acquiring an additional 653 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrow Financial Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey during the third quarter worth $630,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HSY has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on Hershey from $249.00 to $200.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their price target on Hershey from $166.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Hershey from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, October 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Hershey from $190.00 to $170.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price objective on Hershey from $230.00 to $195.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $200.57.

Hershey Trading Down 2.0%

Hershey stock opened at $160.56 on Friday. Hershey Company has a one year low of $156.16 and a one year high of $239.48. The company's fifty day moving average price is $170.14 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $189.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.66. The company has a market capitalization of $32.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.93, a PEG ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.10.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $2.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.11 by $0.53. The company had revenue of $3.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.25 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 31.92% and a net margin of 12.24%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.30 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a $1.4520 dividend. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 16th. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 79.37%.

Key Stories Impacting Hershey

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings exceeded expectations. Hershey reported adjusted earnings of $2.64 per share, up sharply from $1.30 a year earlier and ahead of the roughly $2.11-$2.12 consensus. Revenue rose 3% year over year to $3.28 billion, also topping estimates. Pricing, cost relief and tariff refunds helped drive the margin improvement. HSY Q3 Earnings Top Estimates on Cost Relief and Pricing Gains
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its 2026 earnings outlook following the strong quarter, supporting the near-term profit story. Analysts also remain constructive in some cases: Evercore raised its price target to $225 while maintaining an outperform rating. Evercore rating
• Positive Sentiment: Hershey is targeting 2%-4% sales growth in 2027 and plans to expand its innovation pipeline by approximately 50%, potentially supporting future product launches and growth. Hershey targets 2027 sales growth
• Neutral Sentiment: The quarterly dividend was maintained at $1.452 per common share, or $5.81 annualized, with a yield of approximately 3.6%. The payment is scheduled for December 15 for shareholders of record on November 16. Hershey declares quarterly dividends
• Negative Sentiment: Hershey reduced its 2026 organic sales-growth forecast. Management warned that higher prices and consumer financial pressure are hurting demand, particularly for Halloween candy. Hershey trims FY26 organic sales growth
• Negative Sentiment: Volume and market-share losses remain concerns. Pricing drove much of the revenue and profit growth, but weaker volumes raise questions about the sustainability of earnings gains and consumer acceptance of higher prices. Hershey continues to lose volume and market share

Hershey Profile

The Hershey Company NYSE: HSY is a global confectionery and snack food manufacturer headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Founded by Milton S. Hershey in 1894, the company began as a chocolate producer and has grown into one of the largest branded snack businesses in North America.

Hershey's portfolio includes chocolate, non-chocolate confectionery, gum and mints, and salty snacks. Its brands include Hershey's, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, Kit Kat in the United States under license from Nestlé, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, SkinnyPop and Dot's Pretzels.

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