Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Earns "Hold (C)" Rating from Weiss Ratings

Key Points

• Hershey's stock has received a "hold (c)" rating from Weiss Ratings, while analysts from Goldman Sachs upgraded it from "sell" to "buy", raising the price target to $222.00.
• The company's latest quarterly earnings report showed an EPS of $1.21, exceeding estimates, with revenue of $2.61 billion, reflecting a 26.0% year-over-year increase.
• Insider trading activity includes CFO Steven E. Voskuil selling 5,000 shares for a total of $900,000, indicating a decrease in ownership of over 7%.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "hold (c)" rating reiterated by investment analysts at Weiss Ratings in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Weiss Ratings reports.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Hershey from a "sell" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price target for the company from $170.00 to $222.00 in a report on Tuesday, September 16th. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded Hershey from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, September 15th. Mizuho lifted their price target on Hershey from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on Hershey from $160.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 9th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on Hershey from $155.00 to $179.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $175.89.

Hershey Trading Up 0.6%

Hershey stock opened at $195.54 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $39.64 billion, a PE ratio of 25.97, a P/E/G ratio of 4.70 and a beta of 0.26. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $185.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $173.74. Hershey has a 52 week low of $140.13 and a 52 week high of $208.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hershey news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 5,000 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total transaction of $900,000.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 61,319 shares in the company, valued at $11,037,420. The trade was a 7.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Rohit Grover sold 1,334 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total value of $240,120.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 38,068 shares in the company, valued at $6,852,240. This represents a 3.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 65,704 shares of company stock valued at $12,206,910. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of HSY. Proffitt & Goodson Inc. purchased a new stake in Hershey during the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH purchased a new stake in Hershey during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Hershey by 129.5% during 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 during the last quarter. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Hershey during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its holdings in Hershey by 46.3% during the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 199 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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