NewEdge Wealth LLC Makes New $1.50 Million Investment in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Key Points

• NewEdge Wealth invested approximately $1.50 million in Hershey during the second quarter by purchasing 8,523 shares. Institutional investors currently own 57.96% of the company.
• Hershey exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.90 in EPS on $2.79 billion in revenue, while revenue increased 6.6% year over year. The company maintained fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $8.36–$8.52.
• Hershey declared a quarterly dividend of $1.452 per share, representing an annualized dividend of $5.81 and a 3.1% yield. Analysts remain cautious, with the stock carrying a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $204.78.

NewEdge Wealth LLC bought a new position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 8,523 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,495,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. bought a new stake in Hershey during the first quarter valued at $27,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Reflection Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hershey news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total transaction of $255,000.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 53,195 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,043,150. The trade was a 2.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.08% of the company's stock.

Hershey Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of Hershey stock opened at $186.27 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.66. Hershey Company has a 1-year low of $161.43 and a 1-year high of $239.48. The business's fifty day moving average price is $178.40 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $195.50. The company has a market capitalization of $37.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.45, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.11.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.43 by $0.47. The company had revenue of $2.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.63 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 31.92% and a net margin of 12.24%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.21 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.360-8.520 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 8.49 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.452 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $5.81 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 79.23%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Hershey from $200.00 to $190.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Mizuho dropped their price target on Hershey from $195.00 to $185.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $240.00 price objective on Hershey in a research report on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Hershey from $191.00 to $193.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a "market perform" rating and set a $201.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, July 31st. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $204.78.

Hershey Company Profile

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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