Saudi Central Bank Buys 4,896 Shares of Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Saudi Central Bank lifted its stake in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 89.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 10,365 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,896 shares during the quarter. Saudi Central Bank’s holdings in Hershey were worth $1,819,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 1st quarter worth $27,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Reflection Asset Management acquired a new stake in Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Bard Associates Inc. bought a new position in Hershey in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Hershey news, CFO Steven Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $255,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 53,195 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,043,150. This trade represents a 2.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Stock Up 0.1%

NYSE HSY opened at $173.25 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $178.76 and its 200 day simple moving average is $191.86. Hershey Company has a one year low of $161.43 and a one year high of $239.48. The firm has a market cap of $34.81 billion, a PE ratio of 23.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.66.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.43 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $2.79 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.63 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 31.92% and a net margin of 12.24%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.21 EPS. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.360-8.520 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 8.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued 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 yield of 3.4%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is currently 79.37%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on the company. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Hershey in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $208.00 to $200.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $191.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, July 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Hershey from $191.00 to $193.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Hershey from $200.00 to $190.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $204.78.

Hershey Company 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.