Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Sets New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $200.23 and last traded at $199.3280, with a volume of 1173502 shares. The stock had previously closed at $195.29.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HSY has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group boosted their target price on Hershey from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. DA Davidson dropped their price objective on Hershey from $188.00 to $185.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Barclays set a $188.00 target price on Hershey in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Bank of America raised their target price on Hershey from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of Hershey from $185.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $188.37.

Hershey Stock Performance

The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $182.63 and a 200 day moving average price of $182.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.77 and a beta of 0.18.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.24. Hershey had a net margin of 11.84% and a return on equity of 32.08%. The company had revenue of $3.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.11 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.34 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. Hershey has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.900-6.000 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, November 17th were paid a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 17th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Hershey’s payout ratio is presently 81.91%.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.51, for a total transaction of $282,765.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 53,819 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,145,419.69. This represents a 2.71% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Stacy Taffet acquired 200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was acquired at an average price of $186.19 per share, for a total transaction of $37,238.00. Following the acquisition, the insider owned 9,371 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,744,786.49. The trade was a 2.18% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,102,725 over the last quarter. 0.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its holdings in Hershey by 1,537.5% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 131 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH acquired a new stake in Hershey during the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Hershey in the second quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its position 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 acquiring an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.