Key Points
- Hershey CFO Steven Voskuil sold 1,500 shares on April 20 at an average price of $194.10 for $291,150 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, reducing his stake by 2.53% to 57,695 shares (valued at about $11.2M).
- Hershey raised its quarterly dividend to $1.452 (up from $1.37), an annualized $5.81 payout with a ~3.1% yield, though the payout ratio is high at 133.6%.
- Recent results beat expectations with Q earnings of $1.71 EPS vs. $1.40 expected and revenue of $3.09B vs. $2.97B, and the company set FY2026 guidance of $8.20–$8.52 EPS while the analyst consensus remains a "Hold" with an average price target of $224.94.
Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) CFO Steven Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.10, for a total value of $291,150.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 57,695 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,198,599.50. This represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
Hershey Price Performance
Hershey stock opened at $188.83 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. The company has a market capitalization of $38.27 billion, a PE ratio of 43.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.18. Hershey Company has a 12 month low of $150.04 and a 12 month high of $239.48. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $215.01 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $196.97.
Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.31. The firm had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.97 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 27.90% and a net margin of 7.55%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.69 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. Analysts expect that Hershey Company will post 8.37 EPS for the current year.
Hershey Increases Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were paid a $1.452 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 17th. This is a positive change from Hershey's previous quarterly dividend of $1.37. This represents a $5.81 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. Hershey's payout ratio is currently 133.64%.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey
Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its stake in Hershey by 1,537.5% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 131 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the period. Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Hershey during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Reflection Asset Management acquired a new stake in Hershey during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company's stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on HSY shares. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Hershey in a research note on Monday, April 13th. They issued a "neutral" rating for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $267.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Hershey from $238.00 to $247.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and issued a $250.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Hershey from $165.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $224.94.
View Our Latest Analysis on Hershey
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.
Further Reading
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