Hershey Company (The) $HSY Position Raised by Empowered Funds LLC

Posted by Geri Gentry on Aug 1st, 2026

Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY – Free Report) by 29.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 33,268 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,634 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $6,916,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. KCM Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 41.1% in the first quarter. KCM Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,794 shares of the company’s stock valued at $373,000 after buying an additional 523 shares during the period. Maverick Capital Ltd. boosted its stake in Hershey by 122.1% during the first quarter. Maverick Capital Ltd. now owns 23,317 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,847,000 after buying an additional 12,817 shares in the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP grew its holdings in Hershey by 16.0% during the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 127,291 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,463,000 after acquiring an additional 17,598 shares during the period. Owlhouse Capital LP grew its holdings in Hershey by 285.9% during the first quarter. Owlhouse Capital LP now owns 32,800 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,819,000 after acquiring an additional 24,300 shares during the period. Finally, Gateway Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in Hershey in the first quarter worth about $535,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of Hershey stock opened at $175.46 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $35.59 billion, a PE ratio of 23.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.11. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $179.16 and a 200-day simple moving average of $196.70. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. Hershey Company has a 12 month low of $161.43 and a 12 month high of $239.48.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.90 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.43 by $0.47. The business had revenue of $2.79 billion for 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%.Hershey’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 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.360-8.520 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Hershey Company will post 8.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.452 per share. This represents a $5.81 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Hershey’s payout ratio is 79.23%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HSY has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Hershey from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Zacks Research cut shares of Hershey from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Hershey from $247.00 to $227.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group set a $190.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Piper Sandler reduced 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, July 9th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $204.06.

Read Our Latest Research Report on HSY

Key Stories Impacting 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.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $255,000.00. Following 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 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 Profile

(Free Report)

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.