Hershey Company (The) $HSY Position Increased by Aquatic Capital Management LLC

Aquatic Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 94.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 49,553 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 24,070 shares during the quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $9,269,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of HSY. Choreo LLC raised its position in shares of Hershey by 3.6% during the second quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 1,708 shares of the company’s stock worth $283,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Bellevue Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 13.5% in the 3rd quarter. Bellevue Asset Management LLC now owns 514 shares of the company’s stock valued at $96,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 8.4% in the 3rd quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 798 shares of the company’s stock valued at $149,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the period. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its stake in Hershey by 46.3% in the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LRI Investments LLC increased its stake in Hershey by 20.7% in the 3rd quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 367 shares of the company’s stock worth $69,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

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 shares were 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Rohit Grover sold 3,500 shares of the company’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 $791,245.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 34,568 shares in the company, valued at $7,814,787.76. This trade represents a 9.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 10,000 shares of company stock worth $2,153,645 in the last quarter. 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 upgraded HSY to a Strong Buy, citing improved earnings prospects and momentum that could drive further upside as analysts revise estimates and buy-side interest grows. Hershey (HSY) Upgraded to Strong Buy: Here’s Why
• Positive Sentiment: HSY was added to multiple Zacks Rank #1 lists (momentum and income), increasing visibility to model-driven and income-oriented investors who follow Zacks screeners. This can lift demand for the shares in the near term. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for March 12th
• Positive Sentiment: Underlying fundamentals remain supportive: Hershey reported a quarterly EPS beat and raised FY guidance (FY2026 EPS range cited in filings), which underpins analyst upgrades and higher valuation multiples. (Context from company results and guidance.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry comparison piece shows how Coca‑Cola HBC and other staples are faring versus the sector; useful for relative investors but not a direct catalyst for HSY alone. Is Coca-Cola HBC (CCHGY) Outperforming Other Consumer Staples Stocks This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Campbell’s quarterly miss (weaker snacks demand, margin pressure) highlights category headwinds that could affect investor sentiment toward packaged‑food peers, including Hershey, if trends broaden — monitor volume/mix and cost commentary across peers. Campbell’s Q2 Earnings & Revenues Miss Estimates, Sales Down 5% Y/Y
• Negative Sentiment: A Yahoo Finance column lays out “3 reasons HSY is risky” and recommends an alternative stock, flagging valuation, growth sustainability, and category risk — a cautionary note that may cap some upside and prompt profit‑taking among risk‑averse holders. 3 Reasons HSY is Risky and 1 Stock to Buy Instead

Hershey Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE HSY opened at $216.88 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. Hershey Company has a one year low of $150.04 and a one year high of $239.48. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $210.70 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $193.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.96 billion, a PE ratio of 49.97, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.14.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its earnings results 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. The company had revenue of $3.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.97 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 27.90% and a net margin of 7.55%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.69 EPS. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced 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%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. This is a positive change from Hershey’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.37. Hershey’s payout ratio is currently 133.87%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on HSY shares. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, February 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $267.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley set a $238.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, DA Davidson set a $243.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $222.21.

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.