Candlestick Capital Management LP Acquires New Shares in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Candlestick Capital Management LP bought a new stake in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 344,660 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $64,469,000. Hershey comprises 1.6% of Candlestick Capital Management LP’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. Candlestick Capital Management LP owned about 0.17% of Hershey at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in HSY. Norges Bank bought a new position in Hershey in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $234,386,000. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 240.0% during the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,262,671 shares of the company’s stock worth $236,183,000 after buying an additional 891,287 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the second quarter worth $125,868,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 121.2% during the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,104,299 shares of the company’s stock worth $206,559,000 after buying an additional 605,048 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 44.7% in the 2nd quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 1,232,595 shares of the company’s stock valued at $204,549,000 after acquiring an additional 380,512 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on HSY shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and set a $188.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Stephens upped their target price on Hershey from $200.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hershey in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Barclays boosted their price target on Hershey from $210.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, DA Davidson set a $243.00 price objective on Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $222.21.

Key Headlines 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

NYSE:HSY opened at $216.88 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $43.96 billion, a PE ratio of 49.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.14. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $210.70 and a two-hundred day simple moving average 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 Company has a fifty-two week low of $150.04 and a fifty-two week high of $239.48.

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

Hershey Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be issued a $1.452 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. This is a positive change from Hershey’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.37. This represents a $5.81 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 133.87%.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other news, insider Rohit Grover sold 3,500 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the insider directly owned 34,568 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,814,787.76. This trade represents a 9.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total value of $452,140.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 41,036 shares in the company, valued at $9,277,008.52. This represents a 4.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 10,000 shares of company stock worth $2,153,645 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

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.