UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC Sells 373,934 Shares of Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Key Points

• UBS AM has reduced its holdings in Hershey Company by 23.0% in Q1, selling 373,934 shares and now owns 1,254,113 shares valued at $214.49 million.
• Several institutional investors have modified their stakes in Hershey, with Tradewinds Capital Management raising its holdings by 129.5%.
• Hershey recently announced a quarterly dividend of $1.37 per share, with a yield of 3.0%, to be paid on September 15th.

UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 23.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,254,113 shares of the company's stock after selling 373,934 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC owned 0.62% of Hershey worth $214,491,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in HSY. Putney Financial Group LLC bought a new position in Hershey in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC bought a new position in Hershey in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Proffitt & Goodson Inc. bought a new position in Hershey in the 1st quarter worth $28,000. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Hershey by 129.5% in the 1st quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 179 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fort Vancouver Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Hershey in the 1st quarter worth $34,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on HSY. Bank of America raised their target price on Hershey from $175.00 to $208.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Barclays raised their target price on Hershey from $165.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on Hershey in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $187.00 target price for the company. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Hershey from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 29th. Finally, DA Davidson raised their target price on Hershey from $171.00 to $188.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus 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 Hershey 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 sale, the senior vice president owned 25,321 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,431,175. This trade represents a 4.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, 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 value 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 approximately $11,037,420. The trade was a 7.54% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 86,127 shares of company stock valued at $15,759,755 in the last quarter. 0.34% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hershey Stock Up 0.0%

HSY stock opened at $185.64 on Friday. Hershey Company has a twelve month low of $140.13 and a twelve month high of $208.03. 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 firm has a market cap of $37.63 billion, a PE ratio of 24.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.48 and a beta of 0.27. The business has a 50 day moving average of $180.11 and a 200 day moving average of $171.66.

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

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 72.78%.

Hershey Company Profile

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.

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