Hershey Company (The) $HSY Shares Sold by Scharf Investments LLC

Scharf Investments LLC reduced its stake in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 7.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 495,776 shares of the company’s stock after selling 38,244 shares during the period. Hershey accounts for about 2.4% of Scharf Investments LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Scharf Investments LLC owned about 0.24% of Hershey worth $90,224,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in HSY. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its position in 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 purchasing an additional 123 shares during the period. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey in the third quarter worth $26,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Hershey in the second quarter valued at $31,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the third quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey during the second quarter worth about $36,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HSY opened at $207.97 on Wednesday. Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $150.04 and a 1 year high of $239.48. The firm has a market cap of $42.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.92, a PEG ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.14. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $216.04 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $195.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.19.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.69 EPS. The company’s quarterly 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. Research analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were issued a $1.452 dividend. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 17th. This is a positive change from Hershey’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.37. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is currently 133.64%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on HSY. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Hershey from $238.00 to $247.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Hershey from $182.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Hershey from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $267.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Hershey presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $223.32.

More Hershey News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Hershey laid out a clear growth plan at its 2026 Investor Day emphasizing expansion beyond core chocolate into salty and better‑for‑you snacks, supply‑chain modernization, and a financial framework aimed at sustained, differentiated performance. This strategy underpins long‑term revenue diversification. Hershey Unveils Strategy to Lead Next Generation Snacking at 2026 Investor Day
• Positive Sentiment: Management and strategy details from Investor Day (full transcript) give investors more visibility into targets, margin levers and product priorities — useful for modeling medium‑term growth and margin recovery. The Hershey Company (HSY) Analyst/Investor Day Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Hershey executives, including Stacy Taffet, reiterated plans for the “next wave of growth” on TV interviews — helpful for investor confidence that management is communicating a consistent execution plan. Hershey Exec Stacy Taffet Shares Details on Company’s Next Wave of Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading was temporarily halted for HSY with reason “News pending,” which creates intraday volatility but is neutral regarding fundamentals unless the pending news materially changes outlook. (Investors should watch for any follow‑up filings or releases.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing and partnership initiatives (e.g., Shaq‑A‑Licious gummy promotion, participation in Kargo’s ad beta) support brand extension and marketing reach but are tactical rather than transformational to near‑term results. Shaq Is Back! Shaq-A-Licious SLAMS…
• Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank recently cut its price target for HSY (reducing expectations) and moved to a hold stance, signaling concerns about valuation and near‑term upside; such analyst downgrades often pressure stock sentiment. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Has Lowered Expectations for Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Stock Price Benzinga coverage of price target cut
• Negative Sentiment: Several market outlets noted an intraday pullback in HSY as investors digested Investor Day details and the analyst reactions; headlines calling out the dip can accelerate short‑term selling. Hershey (HSY) Stock Dips While Market Gains: Key Facts

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In other news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $216.71, for a total transaction of $325,065.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 59,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,974,210.99. This trade represents a 2.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 in the company, valued at $9,277,008.52. The trade was a 4.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 10,000 shares of company stock valued at $2,195,945. 0.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.