IFM Investors Pty Ltd Raises Holdings in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Key Points

• IFM Investors Pty Ltd increased its holdings in Hershey Company by 5.5%, acquiring an additional 1,560 shares and bringing its total ownership to 29,959 shares valued at $4.97 million.
• Analyst ratings for Hershey have been mixed, with Bank of America raising its price target from $175 to $208 while Goldman Sachs upgraded the stock from a "sell" to a "buy" and increased its price target to $222.
• Hershey reported earnings per share of $1.21 for the last quarter, significantly exceeding analysts' expectations and showing a 26% year-over-year revenue increase.

IFM Investors Pty Ltd lifted its position in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 5.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 29,959 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,560 shares during the period. IFM Investors Pty Ltd's holdings in Hershey were worth $4,972,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kennon Green & Company LLC lifted its stake in Hershey by 33.3% during the first 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 in the last quarter. William Allan Corp grew its holdings in shares of Hershey by 173.1% during the 1st quarter. William Allan Corp now owns 18,593 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,180,000 after acquiring an additional 11,785 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. raised its stake in shares of Hershey by 8.1% during the 1st quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 18,625 shares of the company's stock worth $3,186,000 after purchasing an additional 1,390 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen LLC bought a new stake in Hershey in the first quarter worth approximately $55,269,000. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its position in Hershey by 8.1% during the first quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 21,151 shares of the company's stock worth $3,617,000 after buying an additional 1,582 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hershey Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of HSY traded up $2.30 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $192.48. 1,718,402 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,279,148. Hershey Company has a 12 month low of $140.13 and a 12 month high of $208.03. The company's fifty day moving average price is $183.14 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $172.21. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. The company has a market capitalization of $39.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.59 and a beta of 0.27.

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

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 15th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th were issued a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 72.78%.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other Hershey news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 5,000 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction on Monday, July 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total transaction of $900,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 61,319 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,037,420. The trade was a 7.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP James Turoff sold 1,300 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.00, for a total transaction of $227,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 25,321 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,431,175. This represents a 4.88% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 87,627 shares of company stock valued at $16,043,435 over the last 90 days. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on HSY shares. Wall Street Zen raised Hershey from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Hershey from $135.00 to $154.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Hershey from a "sell" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their target price for the stock from $170.00 to $222.00 in a report on Tuesday, September 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Hershey in a report on Wednesday, August 20th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $187.00 price target on the stock. Finally, DA Davidson raised their price objective on Hershey from $171.00 to $188.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $173.89.

About Hershey

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.