Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA decreased its stake in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY – Free Report) by 36.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 9,426 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,381 shares during the quarter. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA’s holdings in Hershey were worth $1,806,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kanawha Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Hershey by 8.3% in the 4th quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC now owns 1,300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $237,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. M&T Bank Corp grew its stake in Hershey by 434.1% during the fourth quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 185,850 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,681,000 after buying an additional 151,055 shares during the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 11.4% during the fourth quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 100,197 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,255,000 after buying an additional 10,263 shares in the last quarter. OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd raised its stake in shares of Hershey by 65.1% in the fourth quarter. OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd now owns 3,703 shares of the company’s stock valued at $674,000 after acquiring an additional 1,460 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC grew its position in Hershey by 18.9% during the 4th quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 409 shares of the company’s stock worth $74,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In related news, insider Rohit Grover sold 3,500 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total transaction of $791,245.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 34,568 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,814,787.76. This trade represents a 9.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total transaction of $452,140.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 41,036 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,277,008.52. The trade was a 4.65% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 10,000 shares of company stock worth $2,189,090. Insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.
Hershey Price Performance
Hershey (NYSE:HSY – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 analysts’ expectations of $2.97 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.69 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 8.38 EPS for the current year.
Hershey Increases Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were paid a $1.452 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 17th. This is a positive change from Hershey’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.37. This represents a $5.81 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. Hershey’s payout ratio is currently 133.87%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on shares of Hershey from $212.00 to $200.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Stephens increased their price objective on Hershey from $200.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $250.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $223.83.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Hershey
Hershey News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs issued a Buy on HSY, providing visible analyst support and a higher price target that underpins upside for the stock. The Hershey Company (HSY) Gets a Buy from Goldman Sachs
- Neutral Sentiment: Hershey is overhauling its sustainability strategy; management says progress has been made but more work remains — a longer‑term reputational/consumer trend that could help brand resilience but is unlikely to move near‑term earnings. Why Hershey is making big changes to its sustainability strategy
- Neutral Sentiment: CFO Steven Voskuil sold 1,500 shares under a pre‑arranged Rule 10b5‑1 plan; the trade reduces his stake modestly but the plan reduces informational significance. Insider Selling: Hershey (NYSE:HSY) CFO Sells 1,500 Shares of Stock
- Neutral Sentiment: Consensus broker rating across firms remains around “Hold,” signaling no broad, decisive upgrade trend despite pockets of bullishness. Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages
- Negative Sentiment: Stifel Nicolaus lowered its price target and maintained a Hold, trimming upside expectations and contributing to downside pressure on sentiment. The Hershey Company (HSY) Gets a Hold from Stifel Nicolaus
- Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan lowered its expectations for Hershey, adding to analyst headwinds that can pressure the stock until clearer demand or margin signals appear. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Has Lowered Expectations for Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Stock Price
- Negative Sentiment: Shares recently traded lower (about a 1.4% intraday decline noted in market summaries), reflecting immediate investor reaction to the mix of downgrades, lowered targets and insider activity. Hershey (HSY) Registers a Bigger Fall Than the Market: Important Facts to Note
- Negative Sentiment: Recent media pieces highlight a more pessimistic near‑term forecast from Stifel/other outlets, amplifying the analyst-driven downside narrative. Stifel Nicolaus Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Stock Price
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.
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