Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Shares Unloaded Rep. C. Scott Franklin

Representative C. Scott Franklin (Republican-Florida) recently sold shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY). In a filing disclosed on February 23rd, the Representative disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Hershey stock on February 10th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “FIDELITY ROTH IRA” account.

Representative C. Scott Franklin also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $50,001 – $100,000 in shares of Hershey (NYSE:HSY) on 2/10/2026.

Hershey Stock Performance

NYSE:HSY opened at $230.23 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $199.82 and a two-hundred day moving average of $189.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The stock has a market cap of $46.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.05, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.18. Hershey Company has a 1-year low of $150.04 and a 1-year high of $234.87.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its quarterly 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. The business had revenue of $3.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.97 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 27.90% and a net margin of 7.55%.The company’s revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.69 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a $1.452 dividend. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. This is an increase from Hershey’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.37. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is currently 133.87%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HSY has been the subject of several research analyst reports. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Hershey from $195.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Stephens upped their price target on shares of Hershey from $200.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Hershey from $210.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $238.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $220.32.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hershey news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.66, for a total value of $329,490.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 50,819 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,162,901.54. This trade represents a 2.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,500 shares of company stock worth $910,260. 0.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of HSY. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Hershey by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 19,067,235 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,469,855,000 after acquiring an additional 191,671 shares during the period. Capital International Investors grew its holdings in shares of Hershey by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 9,106,431 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,657,189,000 after purchasing an additional 169,660 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Hershey by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,253,041 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,356,681,000 after purchasing an additional 128,982 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,315,653 shares of the company’s stock worth $967,343,000 after purchasing an additional 124,464 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,831,101 shares of the company’s stock worth $876,434,000 after purchasing an additional 104,024 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Representative Franklin

Scott Franklin (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Florida’s 18th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2023. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Franklin (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Florida’s 18th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.

Scott Franklin was born in Thomaston, Georgia. Franklin graduated from Lakeland High School. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1986 to 2000 and the U.S. Navy Reserve from 2000 to 2012.

Franklin earned a B.S. from the United States Naval Academy in 1986 and an M.B.A. from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1994. Franklin’s career experience includes owning an insurance agency and working as a naval aviator with the U.S. Navy.

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.