Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA Reduces Position in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA trimmed its stake in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 736,535 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,313 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA owned 0.36% of Hershey worth $137,769,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 1,537.5% during the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 131 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH purchased a new stake in Hershey in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Hershey during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its holdings in Hershey by 46.3% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Hershey during the second quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of HSY stock opened at $198.67 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $40.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.70 and a beta of 0.18. Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $140.13 and a 12-month high of $201.86. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $185.51 and its 200-day moving average price is $183.25.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.24. The business had revenue of $3.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.11 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 32.08% and a net margin of 11.84%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.34 EPS. Hershey has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.900-6.000 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 17th were paid a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 17th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 81.91%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Argus upgraded shares of Hershey to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. DA Davidson cut their price target on Hershey from $188.00 to $185.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Evercore ISI reissued a “positive” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, October 31st. Barclays set a $210.00 price objective on Hershey in a research note on Friday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Hershey from $185.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $189.53.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.51, for a total value of $282,765.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 53,819 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,145,419.69. This trade represents a 2.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Stacy Taffet acquired 200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The shares were bought at an average price of $186.19 per share, for a total transaction of $37,238.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 9,371 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,744,786.49. This trade represents a 2.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 4,500 shares of company stock worth $821,445 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Hershey 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.