Rep. C. Scott Franklin Unloads Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) Stock

Representative C. Scott Franklin (Republican-Florida) recently sold shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY). In a filing disclosed on February 23rd, the Representative disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Hershey stock on February 10th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “FIDELITY ROTH IRA” account.

Representative C. Scott Franklin also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $50,001 – $100,000 in shares of Hershey (NYSE:HSY) on 2/10/2026.

Hershey Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of HSY stock opened at $230.23 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The company has a market cap of $46.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.05, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.18. Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $150.04 and a 1 year high of $234.87. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $199.82 and a 200-day moving average price of $189.15.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its earnings results 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 company had revenue of $3.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.69 earnings per share. Hershey’s quarterly revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be paid a dividend of $1.452 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $5.81 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. This is a boost from Hershey’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.37. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is 133.87%.

Institutional Trading of Hershey

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its position in shares of Hershey by 1,537.5% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 131 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Hershey during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new position in Hershey during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Hershey in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Manchester Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 123.0% during the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 165 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $219.66, for a total value of $329,490.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 50,819 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,162,901.54. This trade represents a 2.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,500 shares of company stock worth $910,260. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HSY has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $185.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Argus raised shares of Hershey to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Hershey from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of Hershey from $195.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $220.32.

About Representative Franklin

Scott Franklin (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Florida’s 18th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2023. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Franklin (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Florida’s 18th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.

Scott Franklin was born in Thomaston, Georgia. Franklin graduated from Lakeland High School. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1986 to 2000 and the U.S. Navy Reserve from 2000 to 2012.

Franklin earned a B.S. from the United States Naval Academy in 1986 and an M.B.A. from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1994. Franklin’s career experience includes owning an insurance agency and working as a naval aviator with the U.S. Navy.

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.