Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Insider Sells $791,245.00 in Stock

Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) insider Rohit Grover sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total value of $791,245.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 34,568 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,814,787.76. This represents a 9.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Hershey Trading Up 2.1%

NYSE:HSY opened at $236.34 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $47.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.46, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.19. Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $150.04 and a 1 year high of $236.78. The business has a fifty day moving average of $202.43 and a 200-day moving average of $190.24.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.31. The business had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.97 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 7.55% and a return on equity of 27.90%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.69 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

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

Trending Headlines about Hershey

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Hershey’s recent quarter beat estimates and management set FY2026 guidance of $8.20–$8.52 EPS, confirming solid top-line growth and margin resilience — a primary driver for investor confidence. MarketBeat earnings & guidance summary
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.452 (annualized $5.81), increasing yield and income appeal for dividend-focused investors. Dividend growth reinforces the defensive, cash-return profile of HSY. MarketBeat dividend notice
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and financial outlets continue to view Hershey as a high-quality, wide-moat consumer stock — it was featured on a list of five non-tech wide-moat leaders, supporting demand from long-term, defensive investors. Buy 5 Non-Tech Wide Moat Stocks to Enhance Your Portfolio Returns
• Neutral Sentiment: Food & beverage peers reported mixed results (e.g., Monster, Hormel, Smucker beats/metrics). These sector data points help set category expectations but are not company-specific catalysts for HSY. Monster Q4 earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares (avg. $226.07) and another senior insider, Rohit Grover, sold 3,500 shares on Feb. 24. While small relative to total holdings and not unusual following share-price strength, these sales can be perceived negatively by some investors. Insider selling disclosure

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Syon Capital LLC raised its stake in Hershey by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Syon Capital LLC now owns 3,020 shares of the company’s stock valued at $550,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the period. Haverford Trust Co grew its holdings in shares of Hershey by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Haverford Trust Co now owns 6,796 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,237,000 after buying an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in Hershey by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 2,561 shares of the company’s stock valued at $466,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Venture Visionary Partners LLC lifted its stake in Hershey by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Venture Visionary Partners LLC now owns 8,034 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,462,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC boosted its position in Hershey by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 3,070 shares of the company’s stock worth $559,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on HSY. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $188.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. DA Davidson set a $243.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, February 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $267.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Hershey from $182.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Hershey from $185.00 to $207.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $222.21.

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.