Tobam Has $7.57 Million Stock Position in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Tobam reduced its position in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 6.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 40,449 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,863 shares during the period. Hershey comprises 2.8% of Tobam’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. Tobam’s holdings in Hershey were worth $7,566,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D grew its holdings in Hershey by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 51,359 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,607,000 after acquiring an additional 1,374 shares during the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 10.6% during the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 100,390 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,779,000 after purchasing an additional 9,593 shares during the period. Taylor Hoffman Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the third quarter worth $208,000. Aberdeen Group plc grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 0.6% in the third quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 109,128 shares of the company’s stock worth $20,092,000 after purchasing an additional 633 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA increased its holdings in Hershey by 2.0% in the third quarter. Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA now owns 147,917 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,668,000 after purchasing an additional 2,897 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of HSY opened at $222.06 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $45.03 billion, a PE ratio of 51.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.18. Hershey Company has a 52-week low of $150.04 and a 52-week high of $234.87. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $194.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $187.41. 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 announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.31. Hershey had a net margin of 7.55% and a return on equity of 27.90%. The company had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.97 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.69 EPS. 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. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be issued a dividend of $1.452 per share. This is an increase from Hershey’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.37. This represents a $5.81 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 126.27%.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In other news, insider Stacy Taffet bought 200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $186.19 per share, with a total value of $37,238.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,371 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,744,786.49. This represents a 2.18% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $198.67, for a total value of $298,005.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 52,319 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,394,215.73. The trade was a 2.79% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,119,450 in the last 90 days. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on HSY shares. Bank of America lifted their target price on Hershey from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Hershey from $185.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Morgan Stanley set a $238.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Stephens raised their price target on shares of Hershey from $200.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Evercore ISI reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $220.30.

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.