Rep. Carol D. Miller Purchases Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Representative Carol D. Miller (R-West Virginia) recently bought shares of The Hershey Company NYSE: HSY. In a filing disclosed on April 11th, the Representative disclosed that they had bought between $1,001 and $15,000 in Hershey stock on March 10th. The trade occurred in the Representative's "MATT MILLER INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT ACCOUNT" account.

Representative Carol D. Miller also recently made the following trade(s):

• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Aflac NYSE: AFL on 3/10/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Gilead Sciences NASDAQ: GILD on 3/10/2025.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Pfizer NYSE: PFE on 3/10/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Lockheed Martin NYSE: LMT on 3/10/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of PepsiCo NASDAQ: PEP on 3/10/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Honeywell International NASDAQ: HON on 3/10/2025.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of U.S. Bancorp NYSE: USB on 3/10/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of CME Group NASDAQ: CME on 3/10/2025.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Target NYSE: TGT on 3/10/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of American Water Works NYSE: AWK on 3/10/2025.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of Hershey stock traded up $2.18 on Friday, reaching $166.41. The stock had a trading volume of 1,120,479 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,793,855. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.96. The business's 50-day moving average price is $168.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $170.42. The stock has a market cap of $33.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.28. The Hershey Company has a fifty-two week low of $140.13 and a fifty-two week high of $211.92.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 17th were issued a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.29%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.28%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on HSY. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and issued a $178.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Bernstein Bank decreased their target price on Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. DA Davidson lowered their price target on Hershey from $164.00 to $149.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Hershey from $173.00 to $165.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, Piper Sandler cut Hershey from a "neutral" rating to an "underweight" rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $153.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Hershey currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $163.35.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total value of $41,144.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Capital International Investors increased its position in shares of Hershey by 31.4% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 12,460,147 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,110,126,000 after buying an additional 2,980,997 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 18,311.7% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,010,616 shares of the company's stock worth $1,728,460,000 after acquiring an additional 1,005,127 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter worth about $80,978,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its position in shares of Hershey by 38.6% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,628,047 shares of the company's stock worth $275,710,000 after purchasing an additional 453,428 shares during the period. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 66.7% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 972,836 shares of the company's stock valued at $186,571,000 after purchasing an additional 389,404 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.

About Representative Miller

Carol Miller (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing West Virginia's 1st Congressional District. She assumed office on January 3, 2023. Her current term ends on January 3, 2027. Miller (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent West Virginia's 1st Congressional District. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024. West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District race was identified as a 2018 battleground that might have affected partisan control of the U.S. House in the 116th Congress. Incumbent Evan Jenkins (R) did not seek re-election in 2018, leaving the seat open. In the campaign, Miller emphasized her endorsement by President Donald Trump (R). Lara Trump, Senior Advisor to Donald J. Trump for President, Inc., said, "Carol is pro-coal, pro-Second Amendment, and pro-Trump through and through, and is prepared to tackle the opioid epidemic that’s affected countless West Virginians." Miller also supported the construction of a wall on the southern U.S. border and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Miller is a former Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 16 from 2006 to 2018. Miller has also worked in real estate and owns a bison farm. Carol Miller was born in Columbus, Ohio. Miller graduated from Bexley High School in 1968. She earned a B.S. from Columbia College in 1972. Her career experience includes owning and operating Swann Ridge Bison Farm and working as a real estate manager.

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.