Schroder Investment Management Group grew its holdings in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY – Free Report) by 5.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 128,774 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,266 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group owned about 0.06% of Hershey worth $24,087,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Hershey by 1.1% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 18,840,577 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,126,594,000 after purchasing an additional 210,131 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Hershey by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,116,739 shares of the company’s stock worth $849,123,000 after purchasing an additional 125,100 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Hershey by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,567,373 shares of the company’s stock worth $755,305,000 after buying an additional 126,519 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in Hershey by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,276,326 shares of the company’s stock worth $543,712,000 after buying an additional 144,640 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in shares of Hershey by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,420,491 shares of the company’s stock valued at $235,731,000 after buying an additional 29,462 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.
Hershey News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgrades HSY to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), citing improved earnings prospects and optimism around the company’s outlook — this upgrade is likely the main driver of today’s buying interest. Hershey (HSY) Upgraded to Strong Buy: Here’s Why
- Positive Sentiment: HSY was added to Zacks’ momentum and income Rank #1 (Strong Buy) lists (momentum and income-focused buy lists can attract both growth and dividend-oriented flows). Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for March 12th
- Positive Sentiment: Zacks also ran a positive feature calling HSY an “incredible growth stock,” highlighting structural growth drivers that could support a higher multiple over time. Hershey (HSY) is an Incredible Growth Stock: 3 Reasons Why
- Neutral Sentiment: Thematic note: a Seeking Alpha piece on “moat” stocks during a tech pullback suggests defensive/consumer staples names like Hershey may outperform in rotations, but it’s a broader market theme rather than company-specific news. Defense Lifts Moat Stocks As Tech Stumbles
- Negative Sentiment: Sector headwind: Campbell’s (CPB) missed results and a drop in snacks demand underscore potential demand pressure across the snacks category, which could weigh on Hershey’s near-term volume and margins. Campbell’s Q2 Earnings & Revenues Miss Estimates, Sales Down 5% Y/Y
- Negative Sentiment: Recent relative weakness: coverage noting HSY’s underperformance versus peers may signal profit-taking or rotation out of the name despite upgrades, contributing to today’s downward pressure. Hershey Co. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitors
Insider Buying and Selling
Hershey Trading Down 1.1%
NYSE HSY opened at $215.38 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.63, a P/E/G ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.14. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $210.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of $193.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.72. Hershey Company has a one year low of $150.04 and a one year high of $239.48.
Hershey (NYSE:HSY – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.31. The firm had revenue of $3.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.97 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 27.90% and a net margin of 7.55%.The company’s revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.69 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. Research analysts expect that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.
Hershey Increases Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a dividend of $1.452 per share. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. This is a boost from Hershey’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.37. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is presently 133.87%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several brokerages have recently weighed in on HSY. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $185.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, February 6th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $236.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, February 6th. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of Hershey from $165.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $222.21.
View Our Latest Analysis on Hershey
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.
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