Hershey Company (The) $HSY Shares Sold by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company decreased its stake in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 4.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 86,919 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,431 shares during the quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company’s holdings in Hershey were worth $18,070,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of HSY. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $272,506,000. Marshall Wace LLP grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 546.6% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,057,476 shares of the company’s stock worth $192,439,000 after purchasing an additional 893,940 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 315.4% during the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,083,675 shares of the company’s stock worth $225,285,000 after purchasing an additional 822,772 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 150.1% during the 4th quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,278,881 shares of the company’s stock valued at $232,731,000 after purchasing an additional 767,478 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 4,478.5% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 586,141 shares of the company’s stock valued at $106,666,000 after purchasing an additional 573,339 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HSY has been the subject of several analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $201.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $240.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on shares of Hershey from $249.00 to $200.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Evercore set a $225.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Zacks Research cut Hershey from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $204.06.

Trending Headlines about Hershey

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Hershey reported second-quarter revenue of $2.79 billion, up 6.6% year over year and ahead of the $2.63 billion consensus estimate. Adjusted EPS of $1.90 exceeded expectations of $1.43 and rose sharply from $1.21 a year earlier, helped by pricing, margin recovery and supply-chain improvements. Hershey Reports Second-Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management tightened its 2026 outlook and raised the lower end of its expectations, forecasting revenue of approximately $12.2 billion to $12.3 billion and EPS of $8.36 to $8.52. Stronger salty-snack sales, including LesserEvil, and steady demand for Reese’s and Dot’s Pretzels supported the improved outlook. Hershey Reports Higher Q2 Sales and Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: The board maintained Hershey’s quarterly dividend at $1.452 per common share, supporting an annualized yield of roughly 3.3% at the recent share price. Hershey Declares Quarterly Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target from $191 to $193 but retained a Neutral rating, implying limited conviction despite potential upside from current levels. Brokerages overall continue to carry a consensus “Hold” recommendation.
• Negative Sentiment: Growth was driven largely by a reported 12% increase in prices, while volumes fell approximately 8%. Investors are concerned that continued pricing could weaken consumer demand and limit future growth, particularly in North American confectionery. Hershey Stock Drops as Earnings Beat Overshadows Volume Slide
• Negative Sentiment: Cocoa-cost volatility, supply-chain challenges in salty snacks and a cautious consumer environment remain risks. The company’s valuation also remains elevated relative to its recent earnings profile, increasing sensitivity to signs of weakening demand.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total transaction of $255,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 53,195 shares in the company, valued at $9,043,150. This represents a 2.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hershey Price Performance

Hershey stock opened at $175.46 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $179.16 and its 200 day moving average price is $196.70. Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $161.43 and a 1 year high of $239.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $35.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.18.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.90 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.43 by $0.47. The company had revenue of $2.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.63 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 12.24% and a return on equity of 31.92%. The firm’s revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.21 EPS. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.360-8.520 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Hershey Company will post 8.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.452 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. Hershey’s payout ratio is currently 79.37%.

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.