Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Stock Rating Upgraded by Piper Sandler

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Piper Sandler from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report issued on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. The firm presently has a $213.00 target price on the stock, up from their previous target price of $193.00. Piper Sandler’s target price suggests a potential upside of 18.32% from the company’s current price.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Hershey from $187.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Bank of America lifted their price target on Hershey from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Morgan Stanley upgraded Hershey from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $195.00 to $211.00 in a report on Monday, December 15th. Argus raised Hershey to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $181.00 target price on the stock. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Hershey currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $187.32.

Hershey Trading Up 0.4%

NYSE:HSY opened at $180.03 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $36.51 billion, a PE ratio of 26.91 and a beta of 0.18. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $180.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $181.66. Hershey has a 12-month low of $140.13 and a 12-month high of $199.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.24. The company had revenue of $3.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.11 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 32.08% and a net margin of 11.84%.Hershey’s revenue was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.34 EPS. Hershey has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.900-6.000 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Hershey will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Stacy Taffet purchased 200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $186.19 per share, with a total value of $37,238.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider directly owned 9,371 shares in the company, valued at $1,744,786.49. This trade represents a 2.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.51, for a total transaction of $282,765.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 53,819 shares in the company, valued at $10,145,419.69. This represents a 2.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 6,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,102,725. 0.34% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Hershey

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its position in Hershey by 1,537.5% in the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 131 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the period. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

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.