Rep. C. Scott Franklin Sells Off Shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY)

Representative C. Scott Franklin (Republican-Florida) recently sold shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY). In a filing disclosed on February 23rd, the Representative disclosed that they had sold between $50,001 and $100,000 in Hershey stock on February 10th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “FIDELITY TRADITIONAL IRA” account.

Representative C. Scott Franklin also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Hershey (NYSE:HSY) on 2/10/2026.

Hershey Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of HSY stock opened at $230.23 on Wednesday. Hershey Company has a 52-week low of $150.04 and a 52-week high of $234.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.19. The stock has a market cap of $46.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.18. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $199.82 and a 200-day moving average of $189.15.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.31. The business had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.97 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 7.55% and a return on equity of 27.90%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.69 EPS. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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 an increase from Hershey’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.37. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is presently 133.87%.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other Hershey news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.66, for a total value of $329,490.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 50,819 shares in the company, valued at $11,162,901.54. This represents a 2.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 4,500 shares of company stock worth $910,260. 0.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of HSY. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Hershey by 6.5% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,310 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,618,000 after purchasing an additional 937 shares during the last quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 2nd quarter valued at $224,000. Ethic Inc. increased its holdings in Hershey by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 7,776 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,299,000 after acquiring an additional 267 shares during the period. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Hershey in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $242,000. Finally, AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs lifted its stake in Hershey by 9.7% in the 2nd quarter. AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs now owns 6,821 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,132,000 after purchasing an additional 602 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on HSY shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Hershey from $210.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $236.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley set a $238.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $185.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $220.32.

About Representative Franklin

Scott Franklin (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Florida’s 18th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2023. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Franklin (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Florida’s 18th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.

Scott Franklin was born in Thomaston, Georgia. Franklin graduated from Lakeland High School. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1986 to 2000 and the U.S. Navy Reserve from 2000 to 2012.

Franklin earned a B.S. from the United States Naval Academy in 1986 and an M.B.A. from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1994. Franklin’s career experience includes owning an insurance agency and working as a naval aviator with the U.S. Navy.

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.