Hershey Company (The) $HSY Stock Position Lowered by Birmingham Capital Management Co. Inc. AL

Key Points

• Birmingham Capital Management Co. Inc. AL has reduced its position in Hershey Company by 7.2%, owning 23,810 shares worth approximately $3.95 million after selling 1,846 shares.
• Hershey recently reported earnings of $1.21 EPS, exceeding analysts' estimates, with a revenue of $2.61 billion for the quarter, a 26.0% increase from the previous year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.37 per share, representing an annualized yield of 2.9% and a dividend payout ratio of 72.78%.

Birmingham Capital Management Co. Inc. AL lessened its position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 7.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 23,810 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,846 shares during the quarter. Hershey makes up about 1.7% of Birmingham Capital Management Co. Inc. AL's holdings, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. Birmingham Capital Management Co. Inc. AL's holdings in Hershey were worth $3,951,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Proffitt & Goodson Inc. purchased a new stake in Hershey in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH purchased a new stake in Hershey in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Hershey by 129.5% in the 1st quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 179 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Fort Vancouver Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Hershey in the 1st quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Hershey in the 1st quarter worth approximately $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.

Hershey Stock Performance

NYSE:HSY opened at $187.88 on Monday. Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $140.13 and a 1 year high of $208.03. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $186.28 and its 200 day simple moving average is $174.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.09 billion, a PE ratio of 24.95, a PEG ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 0.26.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $2.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.50 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.27 EPS. Hershey'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. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 15th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th were paid a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 72.78%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of Hershey from $160.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 9th. DA Davidson increased their price target on shares of Hershey from $171.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Hershey from $154.00 to $157.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 25th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of Hershey from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 29th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Hershey from a "sell" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $170.00 to $222.00 in a research note on Tuesday, September 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $176.11.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $189.12, for a total value of $283,680.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 58,319 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,029,289.28. This trade represents a 2.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Michele Buck sold 19,290 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 193,624 shares in the company, valued at $37,563,056. This represents a 9.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 40,080 shares of company stock worth $7,594,590 over the last quarter. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hershey 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.

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