Profund Advisors LLC Decreases Stake in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Profund Advisors LLC lowered its stake in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 21.1% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 1,924 shares of the company’s stock after selling 516 shares during the period. Profund Advisors LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $319,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the second quarter worth $28,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new stake in Hershey in the 1st quarter worth $36,000. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the second quarter valued at about $39,000. Whittier Trust Co. purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the first quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, WPG Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey during the first quarter valued at about $47,000. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of HSY stock opened at $179.36 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $183.94 and its 200 day moving average is $176.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. The stock has a market cap of $36.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.82, a PEG ratio of 4.21 and a beta of 0.24. Hershey Company has a twelve month low of $140.13 and a twelve month high of $208.03.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.24. The firm had revenue of $3.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.11 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 13.54% and a return on equity of 37.36%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.34 EPS. Hershey has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.900-6.000 EPS. Research analysts expect that Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 17th will be issued a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 17th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is 81.91%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on HSY shares. TD Cowen cut their target price on Hershey from $204.00 to $200.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on Hershey from $195.00 to $185.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hershey in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Piper Sandler raised Hershey from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $167.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Evercore ISI reiterated a “positive” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, October 31st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Hershey has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $179.05.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In other news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.52, for a total transaction of $281,280.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 56,819 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,654,698.88. This trade represents a 2.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

About Hershey

The Hershey Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of confectionery products and pantry items in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: North America Confectionery, North America Salty Snacks, and International. It offers chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery products; gum and mint refreshment products, including mints, chewing gums, and bubble gums; protein bars; pantry items, such as baking ingredients, toppings, beverages, and sundae syrups; and snack items comprising spreads, bars, snack bites, mixes, popcorn, and pretzels.