Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 166.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 39,200 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 24,509 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $7,332,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bellevue Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 13.5% in the 3rd quarter. Bellevue Asset Management LLC now owns 514 shares of the company’s stock valued at $96,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH grew its position in Hershey by 7.4% in the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 9,794 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,832,000 after buying an additional 679 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Services increased its stake in Hershey by 47,785.0% in the 3rd quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 9,577 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,791,000 after buying an additional 9,557 shares during the period. Peak Retirement Planning Inc. raised its position in Hershey by 18.1% during the 3rd quarter. Peak Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 9,271 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,734,000 after buying an additional 1,424 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 3.1% in the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC now owns 9,652 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,805,000 after acquiring an additional 291 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In other news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $198.67, for a total transaction of $298,005.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 52,319 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,394,215.73. The trade was a 2.79% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Kirk Tanner acquired 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $185.46 per share, for a total transaction of $370,920.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 47,860 shares in the company, valued at $8,876,115.60. The trade was a 4.36% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders sold 6,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,119,450 in the last 90 days. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY stock opened at $205.88 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $188.12 and a 200 day moving average price of $185.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 1.36. The stock has a market cap of $41.75 billion, a PE ratio of 30.77 and a beta of 0.18. Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $140.13 and a 1 year high of $205.96.

Key Stories Impacting Hershey

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson raised its price target on HSY to $207, providing near-term upside support from a reputable analyst and likely contributing to buying interest. DA Davidson Raises Hershey Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies published a bullish forecast for strong price appreciation for Hershey, reinforcing positive sentiment among growth/value investors ahead of earnings. Jefferies Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation
• Positive Sentiment: Hershey rolled out an Easter product lineup (new Jolly Rancher Gummies Fruity Mix plus expanded Cadbury and Reese’s seasonal SKUs), a seasonal push that could lift near-term sales and margins if consumer response is strong. Hershey Easter Collection Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Market previews note Hershey reports earnings tomorrow; expectations and guidance will likely drive intraday volatility as investors focus on pricing, margins and international performance. Hershey Earnings Preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Benzinga’s earnings outlook summarizes analyst expectations and scenarios for HSY’s upcoming report — useful for gauging whether results could beat or miss consensus. Earnings Outlook For Hershey
• Neutral Sentiment: An overview of Hershey’s role in consumer staples and the S&P 500 underscores its defensive profile—important context for portfolio positioning but not an immediate price mover. Hershey Presence in S&P 500
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks highlights sector-wide margin strain and inflation-weary consumers; such headwinds could pressure Hershey’s margins and weigh on forward guidance if cost pass-through is limited. Consumer Staples Earnings to Watch
• Negative Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating with a $185 price target, signaling downside risk relative to current levels and reminding investors that disappointment in results/guidance could prompt selling. RBC Reaffirms Sector Perform

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays set a $210.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Zacks Research upgraded Hershey from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hershey in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Piper Sandler set a $213.00 price target on Hershey and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, TD Cowen cut their price objective on Hershey from $204.00 to $200.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and fifteen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Hershey presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $197.56.

About Hershey

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.