TrueMark Investments LLC Acquires 12,171 Shares of Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Key Points

• TrueMark Investments LLC boosted its Hershey stake by 40% in Q1, buying 12,171 shares and bringing its total holdings to 42,634 shares worth about $8.86 million.
• Hershey reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $2.35 beating estimates and revenue of $3.10 billion topping forecasts, while revenue rose 10.7% year over year.
• The company also paid a quarterly dividend of $1.452 per share and continues to draw mixed analyst views, with the stock carrying a consensus Hold rating and average price target of $218.06.

TrueMark Investments LLC increased its holdings in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 40.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 42,634 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 12,171 shares during the quarter. Hershey accounts for 1.7% of TrueMark Investments LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position. TrueMark Investments LLC's holdings in Hershey were worth $8,863,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter worth about $272,506,000. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its holdings in Hershey by 546.6% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,057,476 shares of the company's stock valued at $192,439,000 after acquiring an additional 893,940 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in Hershey by 240.0% during the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,262,671 shares of the company's stock worth $236,183,000 after acquiring an additional 891,287 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. grew its position in Hershey by 150.1% during the 4th quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,278,881 shares of the company's stock worth $232,731,000 after acquiring an additional 767,478 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Hershey by 4,478.5% in the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 586,141 shares of the company's stock worth $106,666,000 after purchasing an additional 573,339 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hershey news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.43, for a total value of $260,145.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 54,695 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,485,753.85. This represents a 2.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.08% of the company's stock.

Hershey Trading Up 2.2%

NYSE HSY opened at $183.27 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $37.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 0.09. Hershey Company has a fifty-two week low of $160.07 and a fifty-two week high of $239.48. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $186.78 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $198.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.24.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $2.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.04 by $0.31. The firm had revenue of $3.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.03 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 28.98% and a net margin of 9.12%.The business's revenue was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.09 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 8.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were given a dividend of $1.452 per share. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. Hershey's payout ratio is presently 108.19%.

Hershey News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary points to stronger sentiment around Hershey’s earnings outlook, including reaffirmed 2026 guidance and signs that margin pressure from commodity-derivative losses may be easing as the company works through volatile cocoa costs. Hershey rises as investors lean on outlook and margin recovery hopes
• Positive Sentiment: Hershey’s salty snacks business is showing strength, with growth in brands like LesserEvil, Dot’s, Reese’s Filled Pretzels, and snack mixes adding to the company’s growth story beyond chocolate. Hershey's Salty Snacks Business Shows Strength Beyond LesserEvil
• Positive Sentiment: The company named Heather Hoytink as President, U.S., which may reassure investors about leadership continuity and commercial execution in a key market. The Hershey Company Names Heather Hoytink President, US

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have weighed in on HSY shares. UBS Group lowered their price objective on Hershey from $215.00 to $200.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $249.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Hershey from $211.00 to $204.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Hershey from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, DA Davidson cut their price target on shares of Hershey from $230.00 to $208.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 4th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $218.06.

About Hershey

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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