NFJ Investment Group LLC Buys Shares of 468,818 Hershey Company (The) $HSY

NFJ Investment Group LLC purchased a new position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 468,818 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $82,254,000. Hershey accounts for about 2.8% of NFJ Investment Group LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest position.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. purchased a new stake in Hershey in the first quarter worth $27,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Reflection Asset Management purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the second quarter worth about $26,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of HSY stock opened at $188.71 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a current ratio of 1.18. Hershey Company has a 52-week low of $161.43 and a 52-week high of $239.48. The company has a market capitalization of $37.92 billion, a PE ratio of 25.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.11. The business’s fifty day moving average is $178.30 and its 200 day moving average is $195.57.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.90 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.43 by $0.47. The business had revenue of $2.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.63 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 31.92% and a net margin of 12.24%.The firm’s revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.21 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.360-8.520 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Hershey Company will post 8.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $1.452 per share. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 79.37%.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total transaction of $255,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 53,195 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,043,150. The trade was a 2.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HSY has been the subject of several analyst reports. Evercore set a $225.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and set a $201.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, July 31st. DA Davidson set a $190.00 price target on Hershey in a report on Friday, July 31st. Mizuho reduced their price target on Hershey from $195.00 to $185.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $191.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $203.61.

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.