Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Cuts Stake in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. lowered its position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 8.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 56,091 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,887 shares during the quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $10,207,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC boosted its stake in Hershey by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 3,070 shares of the company’s stock worth $559,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Hershey by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. now owns 1,407 shares of the company’s stock valued at $256,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. BSW Wealth Partners boosted its stake in shares of Hershey by 5.1% during the fourth quarter. BSW Wealth Partners now owns 1,132 shares of the company’s stock valued at $206,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Bellevue Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Hershey by 13.5% during the third quarter. Bellevue Asset Management LLC now owns 514 shares of the company’s stock valued at $96,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Finally, Golden State Equity Partners boosted its stake in shares of Hershey by 5.0% during the fourth quarter. Golden State Equity Partners now owns 1,284 shares of the company’s stock valued at $234,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Hershey

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results topped estimates: Hershey reported stronger-than-expected revenue and adjusted EPS, driven by pricing and cost pass-through, which supports near-term top-line durability. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: GLP‑1 tailwind for mints/gum: Management said rising use of GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs is boosting demand for mints and gum (Ice Breakers), a growing, higher‑margin category offsetting some snack weakness. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase/confirmation: Hershey declared its quarterly dividend ($1.452/share), supporting income investors and signaling confidence in cash flow. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings-call color — innovation and seasonal help: Management cited strong Easter sales and innovation/premiumization gains (luxury chocolate initiatives), which support medium‑term brand momentum but are not immediate growth guarantees. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure from higher input and freight costs: Several coverage pieces and the company commentary highlight rising costs that compressed margins despite the beat — a key reason investors are less enthused. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Softer guidance focus: Although Hershey reaffirmed 2026 guidance, investors fixated on slightly softer near‑term wording and demand uncertainty, which trimmed sentiment after the print. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst reactions trimmed optimism: Multiple firms kept neutral/hold stances or lowered price targets (Barclays, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, BTIG maintained/adjusted coverage), reflecting concerns about near‑term demand elasticity and a premium valuation — adding selling pressure. Read More. Read More. Read More.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY stock opened at $182.32 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $210.21 and a 200 day moving average of $196.68. Hershey Company has a 52 week low of $150.04 and a 52 week high of $239.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.01, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $2.35 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.04 by $0.31. Hershey had a return on equity of 28.98% and a net margin of 9.12%.The company had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.03 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.09 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 10.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Hershey Company will post 8.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $1.452 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 133.87%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on HSY. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $249.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Zacks Research lowered Hershey from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. TD Cowen raised Hershey from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $210.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Hershey from $220.00 to $200.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on Hershey from $230.00 to $215.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $220.56.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.10, for a total value of $291,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 57,695 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,198,599.50. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Rohit Grover sold 3,500 shares of the firm’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 $791,245.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 34,568 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,814,787.76. The trade was a 9.19% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 10,000 shares of company stock valued at $2,189,090 over the last quarter. 0.08% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.