Arizona State Retirement System Trims Stock Position in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Arizona State Retirement System decreased its stake in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 7.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 40,810 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,321 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System’s holdings in Hershey were worth $7,427,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC lifted its position in Hershey by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 3,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $559,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. boosted its stake in Hershey by 4.0% in the fourth quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. now owns 1,407 shares of the company’s stock valued at $256,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. BSW Wealth Partners grew its holdings in shares of Hershey by 5.1% during the fourth quarter. BSW Wealth Partners now owns 1,132 shares of the company’s stock worth $206,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Bellevue Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Hershey by 13.5% during the third quarter. Bellevue Asset Management LLC now owns 514 shares of the company’s stock worth $96,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators increased its position in shares of Hershey by 8.4% during the third quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 798 shares of the company’s stock worth $149,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Performance

NYSE HSY opened at $191.60 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $38.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.15, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.18. Hershey Company has a 52-week low of $150.04 and a 52-week high of $239.48. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $212.88 and its 200 day moving average price is $196.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.31. Hershey had a return on equity of 27.90% and a net margin of 7.55%.The firm had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.69 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Hershey Company will post 8.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th were issued a dividend of $1.452 per share. This is a boost from Hershey’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.37. This represents a $5.81 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 17th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is 133.87%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HSY has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Hershey from $247.00 to $227.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Hershey from $182.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $250.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $240.00 to $225.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $223.83.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hershey news, insider Rohit Grover sold 3,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total transaction of $791,245.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 34,568 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,814,787.76. This represents a 9.19% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 owned 41,036 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,277,008.52. This trade represents a 4.65% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 10,000 shares of company stock valued at $2,189,090 over the last three months. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hershey News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs initiated a Buy on HSY, providing a bullish bench of institutional support that can limit downside and attract buyers. The Hershey Company (HSY) Gets a Buy from Goldman Sachs
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley cut its price target from $247 to $227 but kept an Overweight rating—still implying material upside (about ~18% from current levels), which supports a constructive medium-term view. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: BTIG started coverage with a Neutral rating, praising Hershey’s pricing, cost dynamics and international expansion but not yet enough to drive an upgrade. Why Are Wall Street Firms Cautious on The Hershey Company (HSY)
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary on a recent ~10% pullback frames HSY as either a dip to buy after a strong multi-year run or a signal of near-term volatility—investors are debating valuation vs. momentum. Is It Too Late To Consider Hershey (HSY) After Recent 10.7% Share Price Pullback?
• Neutral Sentiment: An executive stock-sale disclosure drew attention but didn’t produce a clear directional signal—worth monitoring insider activity for follow-through. Did Hershey Shares Move After Exec Stock Sale Disclosure?
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and previews (Zacks/Yahoo) expect a decline in upcoming quarterly earnings and note Hershey lacks clear beat catalysts, raising short-term downside risk around the report. Analysts Estimate Hershey (HSY) to Report a Decline in Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Stifel and other commentators issued cautious/pessimistic views on HSY’s near-term outlook, adding selling pressure amid concerns about volumes and margin trends in packaged foods. Stifel Nicolaus Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Stock Price
• Negative Sentiment: Broader consumer-staples commentary flags sector underperformance vs. the market, creating headwinds for brand names like Hershey if risk appetite stays tilted toward growth. 3 Consumer Stocks We Think Twice About

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.