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Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.23 EPS

Hershey logo with Consumer Staples background

Key Points

  • Hershey reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $1.21, exceeding expectations by $0.23, with revenues of $2.61 billion that also surpassed estimates.
  • The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.37, leading to an annualized dividend of $5.48 and a yield of 2.9%.
  • Wall Street analysts have mixed views on Hershey, with the stock receiving six sell ratings and fifteen hold ratings, reflecting uncertainty about its future performance.
  • MarketBeat previews top five stocks to own in September.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported $1.21 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.23, Zacks reports. The firm had revenue of $2.61 billion for 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%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 26.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.27 EPS. Hershey updated its FY 2025 guidance to 5.809-5.997 EPS.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY stock opened at $186.05 on Friday. The stock's 50-day moving average is $169.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is $165.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.53. Hershey has a 1 year low of $140.13 and a 1 year high of $208.03. The firm has a market cap of $37.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.71, a PEG ratio of 4.56 and a beta of 0.30.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business 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 $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is currently 67.57%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Hershey from $135.00 to $154.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Thursday. Wall Street Zen lowered Hershey from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Sunday, July 6th. UBS Group dropped their target price on Hershey from $175.00 to $170.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Hershey from $173.00 to $165.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of Hershey from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have given a hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $167.05.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on HSY

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In other news, insider Rohit Grover sold 1,334 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total transaction of $240,120.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 38,068 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,852,240. This trade represents a 3.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP James Turoff sold 1,300 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.00, for a total transaction 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 118,311 shares of company stock valued at $20,931,348. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

An institutional investor recently raised its position in Hershey stock. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 6.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 15,310 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 937 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd.'s holdings in Hershey were worth $2,618,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.

About Hershey

(Get Free Report)

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.

Further Reading

Earnings History for Hershey (NYSE:HSY)

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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