Stance Capital LLC Increases Stock Position in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Key Points

• Stance Capital LLC significantly increased its holdings in Hershey Company, boosting its position by 341,957.1% to 23,944 shares, making Hershey the firm's 11th largest investment.
• Hershey reported a quarterly earnings per share of $1.21, exceeding analysts' expectations, with revenues of $2.61 billion, a 26% increase year-over-year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.37 per share, representing a 3.0% yield, with the payout ratio at 72.78%.

Stance Capital LLC lifted its position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 341,957.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 23,944 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 23,937 shares during the period. Hershey comprises about 2.9% of Stance Capital LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Stance Capital LLC's holdings in Hershey were worth $4,095,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 7.7% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,991,639 shares of the company's stock valued at $853,720,000 after purchasing an additional 356,249 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 25.4% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,753,077 shares of the company's stock valued at $470,858,000 after purchasing an additional 557,056 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 38.6% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,628,047 shares of the company's stock valued at $275,710,000 after purchasing an additional 453,428 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,590,903 shares of the company's stock valued at $272,092,000 after purchasing an additional 11,946 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 40.4% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 1,237,107 shares of the company's stock valued at $208,227,000 after purchasing an additional 356,105 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hershey Trading Down 1.1%

NYSE HSY traded down $1.98 on Wednesday, reaching $185.71. 1,336,445 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,791,541. 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 business's fifty day moving average price is $179.86 and its 200 day moving average price is $171.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $37.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.54 and a beta of 0.27. Hershey Company has a fifty-two week low of $140.13 and a fifty-two week high of $208.03.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.21 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 business had revenue of $2.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.50 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.27 EPS. The company's quarterly 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. Analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be issued a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. Hershey's payout ratio is presently 72.78%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on HSY. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Hershey from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 2nd. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Hershey from $175.00 to $208.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Hershey from $135.00 to $154.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Stifel Nicolaus increased 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, JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on Hershey in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $187.00 price target on the stock. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Hershey has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $171.22.

Insider Activity

In other Hershey news, 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 value of $227,500.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 25,321 shares in the company, valued at $4,431,175. The trade was a 4.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total transaction of $900,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 61,319 shares in the company, valued at $11,037,420. The trade was a 7.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 86,127 shares of company stock valued at $15,759,755. Company insiders own 0.28% 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.