Shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY – Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the twenty-three brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $214.7778.
A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on shares of Hershey from $212.00 to $200.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Piper Sandler dropped their target price on shares of Hershey from $249.00 to $200.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. DA Davidson raised Hershey to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. TD Cowen upgraded Hershey from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $210.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Hershey from $247.00 to $227.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 23rd.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Hershey
Hershey Price Performance
Hershey (NYSE:HSY – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $2.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.04 by $0.31. Hershey had a return on equity of 28.98% and a net margin of 9.12%.The firm had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.03 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.09 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Hershey will post 8.43 EPS for the current year.
Hershey Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $1.452 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is 108.19%.
Insider Activity
In other news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.43, for a total transaction of $260,145.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 54,695 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,485,753.85. This represents a 2.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey
Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HSY. Syon Capital LLC boosted its position in Hershey by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Syon Capital LLC now owns 3,020 shares of the company’s stock valued at $550,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the period. Haverford Trust Co increased its position in shares of Hershey by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Haverford Trust Co now owns 6,796 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,237,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of Hershey by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 2,561 shares of the company’s stock worth $466,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. Venture Visionary Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Hershey by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Venture Visionary Partners LLC now owns 8,034 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,462,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. Finally, ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Hershey by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 3,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $559,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
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.
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