Capital Group Private Client Services Inc. Has $3.94 Million Holdings in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Capital Group Private Client Services Inc. decreased its position in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 78.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 21,078 shares of the company’s stock after selling 75,964 shares during the period. Capital Group Private Client Services Inc.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $3,943,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 6.5% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,310 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,618,000 after buying an additional 937 shares during the last quarter. Savant Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 15.8% in the second quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 8,557 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,420,000 after acquiring an additional 1,165 shares during the period. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the second quarter worth $949,000. Wedbush Securities Inc. increased its position in Hershey by 17.5% during the second quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 5,349 shares of the company’s stock worth $888,000 after acquiring an additional 795 shares during the period. Finally, Fox Run Management L.L.C. bought a new position in Hershey during the second quarter worth $561,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Performance

NYSE:HSY opened at $218.74 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $44.34 billion, a PE ratio of 50.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.14. 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 Company has a 12-month low of $150.04 and a 12-month high of $239.48. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $208.64 and a 200 day moving average price of $192.68.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.31. Hershey had a return on equity of 27.90% and a net margin of 7.55%.The company had revenue of $3.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.69 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a $1.452 dividend. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. This is a positive change from Hershey’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.37. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 133.87%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HSY has been the subject of a number of research reports. 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 report on Friday, February 6th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Hershey from $210.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $249.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $185.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $222.21.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Hershey news, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of Hershey 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 transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $219.66, for a total transaction of $329,490.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 50,819 shares in the company, valued at $11,162,901.54. This represents a 2.87% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 10,000 shares of company stock worth $2,153,645 over the last three months. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hershey News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets have recently moved HSY onto “Strong Buy” / buy-on-the-dip lists, highlighting Hershey’s defensive cash flow, brand strength and stable demand — a vote of confidence from some retail/quant shops that may attract buyers. Buy Hershey (HSY) Stock on the Dip for Defensive Safety?
• Positive Sentiment: Hershey was added to Zacks’ Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and to several “best income” lists, which can support demand from income-focused and momentum investors. New Strong Buy Stocks for March 9th
• Positive Sentiment: Product innovation: new SKUs and extensions (DOT’S Original Snack Mix, and a new Twizzlers Straws flavor) expand merchandising and seasonal/impulse opportunities — a modest long-term positive for top-line and retailer shelf space. DOT’S® INTRODUCES DOT’S ORIGINAL SNACK MIX Twizzlers Launches New Twizzlers Straws Flavor
• Neutral Sentiment: Hershey has outperformed the S&P 500 over the past year, but some analyst notes emphasize limited upside from current valuations and advise caution — performance history helps sentiment, but forward returns aren’t guaranteed. Is Hershey Stock Outperforming the S&P 500?
• Negative Sentiment: MarketWatch flags that Hershey underperformed peers on Tuesday, a datapoint investors view as relative weakness that can prompt portfolio rebalancing away from HSY. Hershey Co. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitors
• Negative Sentiment: Some pieces question whether cash-rich names like Hershey are optimally allocating capital; critiques about cash use and high multiples increase investor scrutiny and can pressure the stock. 3 Cash-Producing Stocks We Think Twice About
• Positive Sentiment: MSN’s “Bull of the Day” profile highlights Hershey’s bullish case and could draw attention from momentum traders and retail investors. Bull of the Day: The Hershey Co. (HSY)

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.