Hershey Company (The) $HSY Shares Acquired by International Assets Investment Management LLC

International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 4,728.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 80,000 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 78,343 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $12,609,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. bought a new position in shares of Hershey in the first quarter worth about $27,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc bought a new position in shares of Hershey during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Compass Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Hershey in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, First Pacific Financial purchased a new stake in Hershey in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Stock Up 3.5%

Shares of HSY opened at $165.85 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $169.68 and its 200 day moving average is $189.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $156.16 and a 12-month high of $239.48. The company has a market capitalization of $33.32 billion, a PE ratio of 18.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.10.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $2.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.11 by $0.53. Hershey had a return on equity of 37.12% and a net margin of 14.63%. The business had revenue of $3.28 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.25 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.30 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Hershey Company will post 8.61 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, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be given a dividend of $1.4520 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.5%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is currently 65.72%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $194.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $201.00 price target (down from $208.00) on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $249.00 to $200.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. TD Cowen downgraded shares of Hershey from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $198.00 to $173.00 in a research report on Friday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $212.00 to $206.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $195.24.

Hershey News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Hershey reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $2.64 per share, well above the roughly $2.11–$2.12 consensus estimate, while revenue of $3.28 billion also exceeded expectations and rose 3% year over year. Hershey Reports Third-Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Pricing gains, cost relief and tariff refunds drove a sharp increase in quarterly profit, prompting Hershey to raise its 2026 earnings outlook. The stronger results provide support for the stock despite volume weakness. HSY Q3 Earnings Top Estimates on Cost Relief and Pricing Gains
• Positive Sentiment: Management maintained its 2027 sales-growth target of 2% to 4% and highlighted a substantially larger innovation pipeline and productivity initiatives as longer-term growth drivers. Hershey Targets 2027 Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.452 per common share, equivalent to $5.81 annually and a yield of approximately 3.6%, supporting the income-investment case. Hershey Declares Quarterly Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: Some market commentary characterizes HSY as a long-term momentum stock, but these assessments are based largely on quantitative ranking factors rather than a new fundamental catalyst. Why Hershey Is a Top Momentum Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Hershey reduced its 2026 organic-sales outlook as high prices, inflation, interest rates and gasoline costs pressure shoppers. Convenience-store candy sales fell 5% in September, and management said the final days of Halloween are critical. Hershey Warns Financial Pressures Could Weigh on Halloween Spending
• Negative Sentiment: Higher cocoa and sugar costs are creating margin risk, while consumers are trading down to smaller candy packages. TD Cowen downgraded HSY to “hold” and cut its price target to $173 from $198; BNP Paribas Exane also reduced its target. Halloween Gets Pricier as Chocolate Costs Rise

Hershey Company Profile

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is a global confectionery and snack food manufacturer headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Founded by Milton S. Hershey in 1894, the company began as a chocolate producer and has grown into one of the largest branded snack businesses in North America.

Hershey’s portfolio includes chocolate, non-chocolate confectionery, gum and mints, and salty snacks. Its brands include Hershey’s, Reese’s, Hershey’s Kisses, Kit Kat in the United States under license from Nestlé, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, SkinnyPop and Dot’s Pretzels.