Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse Purchases Shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY)

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) recently bought shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY). In a filing disclosed on December 01st, the Senator disclosed that they had bought between $1,001 and $15,000 in Hershey stock on November 21st.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse also recently made the following trade(s):

• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Guardant Health (NASDAQ:GH) on 11/21/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of CocaCola (NYSE:KO) on 11/21/2025.
• Sold $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of Progressive (NYSE:PGR) on 10/27/2025.
• Sold $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) on 10/20/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) on 9/4/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) on 9/4/2025.
• Sold $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) on 9/4/2025.
• Sold $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of Honeywell International (NASDAQ:HON) on 9/4/2025.
• Sold $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) on 9/4/2025.
• Sold $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) on 9/4/2025.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:HSY opened at $185.54 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $183.21 and a 200 day simple moving average of $177.89. The company has a market cap of $37.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.64, a PEG ratio of 4.21 and a beta of 0.24. Hershey Company has a one year low of $140.13 and a one year high of $208.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 0.89.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.24. Hershey had a return on equity of 37.36% and a net margin of 13.54%.The business had revenue of $3.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.11 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.34 EPS. Hershey’s quarterly revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Hershey has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.900-6.000 EPS. Research analysts predict that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, November 17th will be given a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 17th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is currently 81.91%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a “mixed” rating and set a $184.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, October 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Hershey from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the company from $170.00 to $222.00 in a report on Tuesday, September 16th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Barclays set a $188.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their price objective on shares of Hershey from $204.00 to $200.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $179.74.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 1,537.5% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 131 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey in the second quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 46.3% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hershey news, insider Stacy Taffet purchased 200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $186.19 per share, with a total value of $37,238.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 9,371 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,744,786.49. The trade was a 2.18% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Kirk Tanner purchased 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $185.46 per share, for a total transaction of $370,920.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 47,860 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,876,115.60. This trade represents a 4.36% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock worth $1,103,640. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Senator Whitehouse

Sheldon Whitehouse (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Rhode Island. He assumed office on January 3, 2007. His current term ends on January 3, 2031.

Whitehouse (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Rhode Island. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

About Hershey

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.