Capital International Inc. CA Acquires 11,691 Shares of Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Capital International Inc. CA lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 18.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 75,160 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,691 shares during the period. Capital International Inc. CA’s holdings in Hershey were worth $14,059,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Hershey by 1.1% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 18,840,577 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,126,594,000 after purchasing an additional 210,131 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,116,739 shares of the company’s stock worth $849,123,000 after buying an additional 125,100 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Hershey by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,567,373 shares of the company’s stock worth $755,305,000 after buying an additional 126,519 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in shares of Hershey by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,276,326 shares of the company’s stock worth $543,712,000 after buying an additional 144,640 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in shares of Hershey by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,420,491 shares of the company’s stock valued at $235,731,000 after acquiring an additional 29,462 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In other Hershey news, insider Rohit Grover sold 3,500 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total transaction of $791,245.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 34,568 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,814,787.76. This trade represents a 9.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total value of $452,140.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 41,036 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,277,008.52. This represents a 4.65% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 10,000 shares of company stock worth $2,153,645. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Hershey News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets have recently moved HSY onto “Strong Buy” / buy-on-the-dip lists, highlighting Hershey’s defensive cash flow, brand strength and stable demand — a vote of confidence from some retail/quant shops that may attract buyers. Buy Hershey (HSY) Stock on the Dip for Defensive Safety?
• Positive Sentiment: Hershey was added to Zacks’ Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and to several “best income” lists, which can support demand from income-focused and momentum investors. New Strong Buy Stocks for March 9th
• Positive Sentiment: Product innovation: new SKUs and extensions (DOT’S Original Snack Mix, and a new Twizzlers Straws flavor) expand merchandising and seasonal/impulse opportunities — a modest long-term positive for top-line and retailer shelf space. DOT’S® INTRODUCES DOT’S ORIGINAL SNACK MIX Twizzlers Launches New Twizzlers Straws Flavor
• Neutral Sentiment: Hershey has outperformed the S&P 500 over the past year, but some analyst notes emphasize limited upside from current valuations and advise caution — performance history helps sentiment, but forward returns aren’t guaranteed. Is Hershey Stock Outperforming the S&P 500?
• Negative Sentiment: MarketWatch flags that Hershey underperformed peers on Tuesday, a datapoint investors view as relative weakness that can prompt portfolio rebalancing away from HSY. Hershey Co. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitors
• Negative Sentiment: Some pieces question whether cash-rich names like Hershey are optimally allocating capital; critiques about cash use and high multiples increase investor scrutiny and can pressure the stock. 3 Cash-Producing Stocks We Think Twice About
• Positive Sentiment: MSN’s “Bull of the Day” profile highlights Hershey’s bullish case and could draw attention from momentum traders and retail investors. Bull of the Day: The Hershey Co. (HSY)

Hershey Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of NYSE:HSY opened at $218.74 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $44.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.40, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.14. The business’s 50 day moving average is $208.64 and its 200 day moving average is $192.68. Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $150.04 and a 12-month high of $239.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.31. Hershey had a return on equity of 27.90% and a net margin of 7.55%.The business had revenue of $3.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.97 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.69 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a $1.452 dividend. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. This is a positive change from Hershey’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.37. Hershey’s payout ratio is currently 133.87%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Hershey from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Argus raised shares of Hershey to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $249.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $188.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Hershey from $195.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $222.21.

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.