Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV Increases Stake in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV raised its position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 96.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 19,673 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 9,661 shares during the period. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV’s holdings in Hershey were worth $3,580,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HSY. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 1,537.5% during the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 131 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares during the period. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. Park Place Capital Corp purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth $41,000. Finally, West Branch Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 107.4% during the 3rd quarter. West Branch Capital LLC now owns 224 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on HSY shares. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Hershey from $195.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. UBS Group reduced their price target on Hershey from $236.00 to $215.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $185.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Hershey from $238.00 to $247.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $267.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $222.21.

Hershey Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:HSY opened at $207.83 on Tuesday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $217.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $196.27. 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 $42.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.89, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 0.18. Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $150.04 and a 12-month high of $239.48.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.69 EPS. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th were given a dividend of $1.452 per share. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. 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. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is 133.64%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total transaction of $452,140.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 41,036 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,277,008.52. This trade represents a 4.65% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Rohit Grover sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total value of $791,245.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 34,568 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,814,787.76. The trade was a 9.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 10,000 shares of company stock valued at $2,195,945. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hershey 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.