Hershey Company (The) $HSY Stake Decreased by Nisa Investment Advisors LLC

Nisa Investment Advisors LLC cut its stake in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 20.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 37,963 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,636 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $5,983,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of HSY. Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors grew its position in shares of Hershey by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors now owns 2,102 shares of the company’s stock valued at $331,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. First Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey in the third quarter worth $1,555,000. IFP Advisors Inc raised its position in shares of Hershey by 4.7% in the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,751 shares of the company’s stock worth $276,000 after buying an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. 1834 Investment Advisors Co. boosted its stake in Hershey by 0.4% during the third quarter. 1834 Investment Advisors Co. now owns 32,017 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,046,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the period. Finally, Guardian Asset Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Hershey by 2.6% during the third quarter. Guardian Asset Advisors LLC now owns 5,022 shares of the company’s stock valued at $791,000 after buying an additional 126 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY stock opened at $169.63 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $171.55 and a 200 day moving average of $179.89. Hershey Company has a 52 week low of $156.16 and a 52 week high of $239.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.19, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.10. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.90 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.43 by $0.47. Hershey had a net margin of 12.24% and a return on equity of 31.92%. The business had revenue of $2.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.63 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.21 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.360-8.520 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Hershey Company will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th were given a dividend of $1.4520 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. This represents a $5.81 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. Hershey’s payout ratio is currently 79.37%.

Key Stories Impacting Hershey

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street expects Hershey to report year-over-year earnings growth next week, and analysts see several factors that could support a quarterly earnings beat. Strong results could improve sentiment toward the stock. Hershey Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Hershey is being highlighted as an attractive dividend alternative to Mondelez, which has rallied more strongly this year. Its comparatively favorable income profile may appeal to value and income-focused investors. Is Hershey the Better Dividend Bargain?
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage points to renewed earnings optimism and continued analyst interest in Hershey, with some valuation analysis suggesting meaningful upside if the company delivers on expectations. Is Earnings Optimism Altering the Investment Case for Hershey Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Bernstein reiterated a Hold rating, indicating that the firm does not see a sufficiently compelling risk-reward profile at present. Hershey Receives a Hold from Bernstein
• Negative Sentiment: Goldman Sachs reduced its price target to $204 from $224, signaling more limited expected upside and contributing to investor caution. Goldman Sachs Adjusts Price Target on Hershey
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation coverage remains divided: some analysis argues that earnings optimism could materially improve fair value, while other commentary raises concerns that the shares may already be priced above intrinsic value. That uncertainty is limiting enthusiasm ahead of results. Hershey Could Be 122% Above Fair Value After Earnings Optimism

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on HSY. Evercore set a $225.00 price target on Hershey in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and issued a $191.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $190.00 to $170.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $178.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Tuesday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $199.44.

About Hershey

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is a global confectionery and snack food manufacturer headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Founded by Milton S. Hershey in 1894, the company began as a chocolate producer and has grown into one of the largest branded snack businesses in North America.

Hershey’s portfolio includes chocolate, non-chocolate confectionery, gum and mints, and salty snacks. Its brands include Hershey’s, Reese’s, Hershey’s Kisses, Kit Kat in the United States under license from Nestlé, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, SkinnyPop and Dot’s Pretzels.