The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Zacks Research lowered their Q2 2025 earnings per share estimates for shares of Hershey in a research report issued on Wednesday, May 21st. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now forecasts that the company will earn $1.00 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $1.09. The consensus estimate for Hershey's current full-year earnings is $6.12 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Hershey's Q3 2025 earnings at $1.48 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $1.43 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $6.00 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $0.97 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.55 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $6.30 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.38 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $7.52 EPS.
A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on HSY. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Hershey from $183.00 to $177.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Mizuho decreased their price target on Hershey from $167.00 to $155.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. DA Davidson upped their price objective on Hershey from $162.00 to $163.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Citigroup lowered their price target on Hershey from $173.00 to $165.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, Bernstein Bank dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have assigned a hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $162.15.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Hershey
Hershey Stock Down 0.8%
Shares of Hershey stock traded down $1.31 on Friday, reaching $156.92. 477,919 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,785,546. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $164.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $166.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.64. Hershey has a 1-year low of $140.13 and a 1-year high of $208.03. The company has a market cap of $31.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32.
Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $2.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.81 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. Hershey's revenue for the quarter was down 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.07 EPS.
Hershey Announces Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be issued a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.49%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 16th. Hershey's payout ratio is currently 67.57%.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey
Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Elevate Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,939,000. Ethos Financial Group LLC lifted its position in Hershey by 59.8% in the fourth quarter. Ethos Financial Group LLC now owns 3,962 shares of the company's stock valued at $671,000 after purchasing an additional 1,483 shares during the period. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $6,230,000. Impact Partnership Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Hershey during the 4th quarter worth approximately $780,000. Finally, DJE Kapital AG purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,040,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.
Hershey Company Profile
(
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.
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