Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV Invests $1.87 Million in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV purchased a new position in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 10,012 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,873,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of HSY. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its position 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 valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the second quarter worth $28,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Hershey in the second quarter valued at about $31,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its stake in Hershey by 46.3% in the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 63 shares during the period. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Hershey during the second quarter worth about $36,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday. Evercore ISI reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday. Zacks Research raised shares of Hershey from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Hershey from $195.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday. One 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $218.21.

More Hershey News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat estimates and management raised FY‑2026 guidance (EPS 8.20–8.52, revenue ~ $12.2–12.3B), giving investors confidence in demand resilience and pricing power. Reuters: Hershey sees strong 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Hershey raised its quarterly dividend by 6% (to $1.452/share), signaling management confidence and attracting income investors ahead of the ex‑dividend date. PR Newswire: Hershey Declares Quarterly Dividends
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised price targets after the report — Evercore ISI lifted its target to $250 (in-line rating), and others followed with higher targets, supporting further upside narrative. The Fly: Evercore raises target
• Neutral Sentiment: Market reaction in cocoa futures — cocoa prices rose after Hershey’s upbeat outlook, reflecting eased demand concerns; this can be a mixed signal for margins vs. broader industry health. Barchart: Cocoa prices settle higher
• Neutral Sentiment: Several Wall Street firms reiterated Hold/Equal Weight but nudged up targets (Wells Fargo to $220, BofA to $240, TD Cowen to $210), indicating cautious optimism but not broad conviction to upgrade to Buy. Benzinga: Wells Fargo raises target
• Negative Sentiment: Margins remain under pressure from higher cocoa costs and tariffs; outlets highlighted that profit was dragged by these items even as top‑line and EPS beat. Continued commodity volatility is a downside risk to the earnings recovery. WSJ: Profit dragged by tariffs, cocoa costs
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and commentary cautioned that cocoa price volatility and cost/tariff risks could limit margin recovery, supporting Hold ratings for risk‑averse investors. TipRanks: Hold ratings due to cocoa volatility

Hershey Stock Up 3.0%

Shares of HSY stock opened at $231.11 on Monday. Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $150.04 and a 12-month high of $234.43. 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 has a fifty day moving average of $189.69 and a 200-day moving average of $185.95. The company has a market capitalization of $46.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.18.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.31. Hershey had a net margin of 7.55% and a return on equity of 27.90%. The firm had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.69 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict 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. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be issued a dividend of $1.452 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. This is a boost from Hershey’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.37. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is 126.27%.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other news, insider Stacy Taffet bought 200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $186.19 per share, for a total transaction of $37,238.00. Following the purchase, the insider owned 9,371 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,744,786.49. The trade was a 2.18% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $198.67, for a total transaction of $298,005.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 52,319 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,394,215.73. This represents a 2.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,119,450. 0.28% of the stock is 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.