Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY – Free Report) by 1.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,210,466 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 19,772 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned about 0.60% of Hershey worth $251,706,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators purchased a new position in Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $9,633,000. Prudential PLC lifted its holdings in Hershey by 237.3% in the fourth quarter. Prudential PLC now owns 7,988 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,454,000 after acquiring an additional 5,620 shares during the period. Friedenthal Financial boosted its position in Hershey by 38,266.7% in the 4th quarter. Friedenthal Financial now owns 5,755 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,047,000 after purchasing an additional 5,740 shares in the last quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Hershey in the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,744,000. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 126.4% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 84,215 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,508,000 after purchasing an additional 47,017 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
More Hershey News
Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:
- Neutral Sentiment: Hershey is set to report quarterly earnings soon, but UBS said the Q2 print is unlikely to be a meaningful catalyst in either direction, implying limited near-term upside from the report. Hershey Q2 Print Unlikely to Be Meaningful Catalyst, UBS Says
- Neutral Sentiment: Several analysts and market commentary pieces say Hershey does not currently have a strong setup for an earnings beat, keeping expectations muted ahead of the report. Hershey (HSY) Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy?
- Neutral Sentiment: Barclays reiterated a Hold rating on HSY, while Stifel cut its price target from $215 to $180 and also moved to Hold, reinforcing a cautious analyst stance. Barclays Sticks to Its Hold Rating for The Hershey Company (HSY)
- Neutral Sentiment: A recent article warned that HSY looks risky after losing ground over the past six months, with shares lagging the broader market, which may be adding to investor caution. 3 Reasons HSY is Risky and 1 Stock to Buy Instead
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
View Our Latest Stock Report on Hershey
Hershey Trading Down 0.0%
HSY stock opened at $172.31 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $161.43 and a 12-month high of $239.48. The stock has a market cap of $34.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.09, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.11. The business’s 50-day moving average is $180.59 and its 200 day moving average is $196.94.
Hershey (NYSE:HSY – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $2.35 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.04 by $0.31. The business had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.03 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 28.98% and a net margin of 9.12%.The business’s revenue was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.09 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Hershey Company will post 8.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Hershey Announces Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th were given a dividend of $1.452 per share. This represents a $5.81 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. Hershey’s payout ratio is presently 108.19%.
Insider Buying and Selling
In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.43, for a total value of $260,145.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 54,695 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,485,753.85. This represents a 2.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.
About Hershey
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.
See Also
- Five stocks we like better than Hershey
- Premium Retail’s Stress Test Is Separating Winners From Losers
- D-Wave Quantum or a Quantum ETF: Which Is the Better Bet?
- GE Vernova Just Sent a Mixed AI Signal to Investors
- Alphabet Crushed Earnings, But One Number Spooked the Market
Receive News & Ratings for Hershey Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hershey and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
