NewEdge Advisors LLC Increases Holdings in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Key Points

• NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Hershey Company by 41.2%, owning 8,811 shares valued at approximately $1.5 million as of the latest SEC filing.
• Hershey reported $1.21 EPS for the last quarter, exceeding the consensus estimate of $0.98, with a revenue of $2.61 billion—up 26% year-over-year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.37, representing a dividend yield of 3.0%, with the payout scheduled for September 15th.

NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 41.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 8,811 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 2,569 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC's holdings in Hershey were worth $1,507,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Putney Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Proffitt & Goodson Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 129.5% in the 1st quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 179 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fort Vancouver Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 1st quarter valued at about $34,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Down 0.3%

HSY opened at $184.95 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $180.35 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $171.70. 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 cap of $37.49 billion, a PE ratio of 24.56, a P/E/G ratio of 4.48 and a beta of 0.27. Hershey Company has a 52 week low of $140.13 and a 52 week high of $208.03.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.23. Hershey had a return on equity of 37.36% and a net margin of 13.54%.The company had revenue of $2.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.50 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.27 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 26.0% on a year-over-year basis. Hershey has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.809-5.997 EPS. As a group, research 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 will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th will be given a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 72.78%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on Hershey from $155.00 to $179.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Barclays boosted their target price on Hershey from $165.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, August 1st. Wall Street Zen raised Hershey from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Hershey from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Hershey from $135.00 to $154.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $171.22.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, July 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total value of $900,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 61,319 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,037,420. This trade represents a 7.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP James Turoff sold 1,300 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.00, for a total value of $227,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 25,321 shares in the company, valued at $4,431,175. This trade represents a 4.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 86,127 shares of company stock valued at $15,759,755. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.