Hershey Company (The) $HSY Stake Raised by Quantinno Capital Management LP

Quantinno Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 16.0% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 127,291 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 17,598 shares during the period. Quantinno Capital Management LP’s holdings in Hershey were worth $26,463,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Reflection Asset Management acquired a new position in Hershey during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Bard Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Manchester Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 123.0% during the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 165 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HSY has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on shares of Hershey from $249.00 to $200.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Hershey in a research report on Monday, April 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $195.00 to $185.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Hershey from $190.00 to $198.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of Hershey from $220.00 to $200.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $204.06.

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, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $255,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 53,195 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,043,150. The trade was a 2.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Stock Down 1.0%

HSY opened at $175.46 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.18. The company has a market capitalization of $35.59 billion, a PE ratio of 23.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.11. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $179.16 and its 200-day moving average is $196.70. Hershey Company has a one year low of $161.43 and a one year high of $239.48.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.90 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.21 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.360-8.520 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Hershey Company will post 8.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $5.81 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 79.23%.

Key Headlines Impacting Hershey

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Hershey reported second-quarter revenue of $2.79 billion, up 6.6% year over year and ahead of the $2.63 billion consensus estimate. Adjusted EPS of $1.90 exceeded expectations of $1.43 and rose sharply from $1.21 a year earlier, helped by pricing, margin recovery and supply-chain improvements. Hershey Reports Second-Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management tightened its 2026 outlook and raised the lower end of its expectations, forecasting revenue of approximately $12.2 billion to $12.3 billion and EPS of $8.36 to $8.52. Stronger salty-snack sales, including LesserEvil, and steady demand for Reese’s and Dot’s Pretzels supported the improved outlook. Hershey Reports Higher Q2 Sales and Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: The board maintained Hershey’s quarterly dividend at $1.452 per common share, supporting an annualized yield of roughly 3.3% at the recent share price. Hershey Declares Quarterly Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target from $191 to $193 but retained a Neutral rating, implying limited conviction despite potential upside from current levels. Brokerages overall continue to carry a consensus “Hold” recommendation.
• Negative Sentiment: Growth was driven largely by a reported 12% increase in prices, while volumes fell approximately 8%. Investors are concerned that continued pricing could weaken consumer demand and limit future growth, particularly in North American confectionery. Hershey Stock Drops as Earnings Beat Overshadows Volume Slide
• Negative Sentiment: Cocoa-cost volatility, supply-chain challenges in salty snacks and a cautious consumer environment remain risks. The company’s valuation also remains elevated relative to its recent earnings profile, increasing sensitivity to signs of weakening demand.

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.