Stacy Taffet Purchases 200 Shares of Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Stock

Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) insider Stacy Taffet acquired 200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $186.19 per share, for a total transaction of $37,238.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider owned 9,371 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,744,786.49. This represents a 2.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Hershey Stock Up 0.9%

HSY stock opened at $188.39 on Thursday. Hershey Company has a fifty-two week low of $140.13 and a fifty-two week high of $208.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 0.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $38.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.02, a PEG ratio of 4.21 and a beta of 0.24. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $183.40 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $177.31.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.24. Hershey had a net margin of 13.54% and a return on equity of 37.36%. The business had revenue of $3.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.11 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.34 earnings per share. Hershey’s revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Hershey has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.900-6.000 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 17th will be issued a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 17th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 81.91%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HSY has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Hershey from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 2nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Hershey from $187.00 to $189.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on Hershey from $155.00 to $179.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a “mixed” rating and issued a $184.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $179.74.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. 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 worth $25,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Hershey during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH bought a new position in shares of Hershey in the second quarter worth about $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 bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

About Hershey

The Hershey Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of confectionery products and pantry items in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: North America Confectionery, North America Salty Snacks, and International. It offers chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery products; gum and mint refreshment products, including mints, chewing gums, and bubble gums; protein bars; pantry items, such as baking ingredients, toppings, beverages, and sundae syrups; and snack items comprising spreads, bars, snack bites, mixes, popcorn, and pretzels.