344,660 Shares in Hershey Company (The) $HSY Bought by Candlestick Capital Management LP

Candlestick Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 344,660 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $64,469,000. Hershey accounts for 1.6% of Candlestick Capital Management LP’s holdings, making the stock its 21st largest holding.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its holdings 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 during the period. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 46.3% in the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 63 shares during the period. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in Hershey in the 2nd quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Park Place Capital Corp acquired a new position in Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $41,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Hershey news, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total transaction of $452,140.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 41,036 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,277,008.52. The trade was a 4.65% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.66, for a total transaction of $329,490.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 50,819 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,162,901.54. The trade was a 2.87% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 10,000 shares of company stock valued at $2,153,645 in the last three months. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Hershey

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded HSY to a Strong Buy, citing improved earnings prospects and momentum that could drive further upside as analysts revise estimates and buy-side interest grows. Hershey (HSY) Upgraded to Strong Buy: Here’s Why
• Positive Sentiment: HSY was added to multiple Zacks Rank #1 lists (momentum and income), increasing visibility to model-driven and income-oriented investors who follow Zacks screeners. This can lift demand for the shares in the near term. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for March 12th
• Positive Sentiment: Underlying fundamentals remain supportive: Hershey reported a quarterly EPS beat and raised FY guidance (FY2026 EPS range cited in filings), which underpins analyst upgrades and higher valuation multiples. (Context from company results and guidance.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry comparison piece shows how Coca‑Cola HBC and other staples are faring versus the sector; useful for relative investors but not a direct catalyst for HSY alone. Is Coca-Cola HBC (CCHGY) Outperforming Other Consumer Staples Stocks This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Campbell’s quarterly miss (weaker snacks demand, margin pressure) highlights category headwinds that could affect investor sentiment toward packaged‑food peers, including Hershey, if trends broaden — monitor volume/mix and cost commentary across peers. Campbell’s Q2 Earnings & Revenues Miss Estimates, Sales Down 5% Y/Y
• Negative Sentiment: A Yahoo Finance column lays out “3 reasons HSY is risky” and recommends an alternative stock, flagging valuation, growth sustainability, and category risk — a cautionary note that may cap some upside and prompt profit‑taking among risk‑averse holders. 3 Reasons HSY is Risky and 1 Stock to Buy Instead

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY opened at $216.88 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.14. Hershey Company has a 52 week low of $150.04 and a 52 week high of $239.48. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $210.70 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $193.33. 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 (NYSE:HSY) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.31. The company had revenue of $3.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.97 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 27.90% and a net margin of 7.55%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.69 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders 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. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $5.81 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 133.87%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on HSY shares. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $249.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Hershey from $195.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Stephens upped their target price on Hershey from $200.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Zacks Research upgraded Hershey from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Hershey from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $222.21.

Hershey Company 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.