Key Points
- CFO Steven Voskuil sold 1,500 shares on March 18 at an average price of $216.71 for about $325,065, leaving him with 59,869 shares (a 2.44% reduction) valued at roughly $12.97 million.
- Hershey raised its quarterly dividend to $1.452 per share (paid March 16), up from $1.37, implying a $5.81 annualized payout and a 2.8% yield while the payout ratio sits at 133.9%.
- Recent results topped expectations: Q earnings were $1.71 EPS vs. $1.40 expected and revenue was $3.09 billion (up 7% YoY), and the company set FY2026 guidance of $8.20–$8.52 EPS.
Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) CFO Steven Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $216.71, for a total value of $325,065.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 59,869 shares of the company's stock, valued at $12,974,210.99. This represents a 2.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.
Hershey Stock Down 1.1%
Hershey stock opened at $210.41 on Friday. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $213.43 and its 200 day moving average price is $194.18. Hershey Company has a 1-year low of $150.04 and a 1-year high of $239.48. The company has a market cap of $42.65 billion, a PE ratio of 48.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.72.
Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.31. Hershey had a net margin of 7.55% and a return on equity of 27.90%. The company had revenue of $3.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.69 EPS. The business's revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Hershey Increases Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th were issued a dividend of $1.452 per share. This is an increase from Hershey's previous quarterly dividend of $1.37. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 17th. Hershey's payout ratio is presently 133.87%.
Institutional Trading of Hershey
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Hershey by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 19,067,235 shares of the company's stock worth $3,469,855,000 after purchasing an additional 191,671 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its holdings in Hershey by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 9,106,431 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,657,189,000 after buying an additional 169,660 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in Hershey by 1.8% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,253,041 shares of the company's stock worth $1,356,681,000 after buying an additional 128,982 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Hershey by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,315,653 shares of the company's stock worth $967,343,000 after buying an additional 124,464 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,831,101 shares of the company's stock worth $876,434,000 after acquiring an additional 104,024 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of research analysts have issued reports on HSY shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $267.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, February 6th. Zacks Research upgraded Hershey from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Hershey from $182.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Hershey from $185.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $222.68.
Read Our Latest Report on HSY
Hershey Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is a leading North American chocolatier and snack manufacturer headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The company develops, produces and markets a wide range of confectionery and snack products for retail, foodservice and international customers. Hershey's business spans manufacturing, branded product marketing, packaging and distribution across grocery, convenience, mass merchant and e-commerce channels.
Hershey's product portfolio centers on chocolate and sugar confectionery, including core brands such as Hershey's, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses and Twizzlers, alongside non-chocolate snacks and confectionery brands.
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