Nordea Investment Management AB Has $3.65 Million Stock Position in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Nordea Investment Management AB lessened its position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 65.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 19,856 shares of the company’s stock after selling 38,222 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB’s holdings in Hershey were worth $3,647,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its stake in Hershey by 1,537.5% during the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 131 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its position in Hershey by 46.3% in the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Hershey in the 2nd quarter valued at about $36,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hershey Trading Down 1.7%

NYSE HSY opened at $197.68 on Monday. Hershey Company has a twelve month low of $140.13 and a twelve month high of $201.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.09 billion, a PE ratio of 29.55 and a beta of 0.18. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $184.42 and its 200 day moving average is $182.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.24. Hershey had a net margin of 11.84% and a return on equity of 32.08%. The company had revenue of $3.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.11 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.34 EPS. Hershey’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. Hershey has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.900-6.000 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, November 17th were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 17th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is 81.91%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on HSY shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Hershey from $187.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $182.00 price objective on Hershey and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Hershey in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $181.00 target price for the company. Piper Sandler set a $213.00 price target on shares of Hershey and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Evercore ISI restated a “positive” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, October 31st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Hershey currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $189.53.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Stacy Taffet bought 200 shares of the business’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 purchase, the insider owned 9,371 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,744,786.49. The trade was a 2.18% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.51, for a total transaction of $282,765.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 53,819 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,145,419.69. The trade was a 2.71% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 4,500 shares of company stock valued at $821,445. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hershey Company Profile

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.