Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Price Target Cut to $215.00 by Analysts at Stifel Nicolaus

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its target price decreased by Stifel Nicolaus from $230.00 to $215.00 in a research report report published on Tuesday, Marketbeat.com reports. Stifel Nicolaus currently has a hold rating on the stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Hershey from $182.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $230.00 to $211.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Hershey from $185.00 to $207.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of Hershey in a research note on Monday, April 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Hershey from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. 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 data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $224.94.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of Hershey stock opened at $188.83 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.18. Hershey has a 52 week low of $150.04 and a 52 week high of $239.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $215.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $196.97.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its quarterly 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 company had revenue of $3.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.97 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 7.55% and a return on equity of 27.90%. The firm’s revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.69 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Hershey will post 8.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders 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 3.1%. This is a boost from Hershey’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.37. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. Hershey’s payout ratio is 133.64%.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In other news, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total transaction of $452,140.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 41,036 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,277,008.52. This trade represents a 4.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.10, for a total transaction of $291,150.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 57,695 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,198,599.50. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 10,000 shares of company stock worth $2,189,090. Insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew 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 worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Reflection Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the third quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.