Clark Capital Management Group Inc. Invests $44.46 Million in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Clark Capital Management Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 237,712 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $44,464,000. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. owned approximately 0.12% of Hershey as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HSY. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its holdings in Hershey by 1,537.5% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 131 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC grew its position in shares of Hershey by 46.3% in the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the 2nd quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Park Place Capital Corp acquired a new stake in Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In other news, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total transaction of $452,140.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Rohit Grover sold 3,500 shares of the 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 sale, the insider directly owned 34,568 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,814,787.76. This represents a 9.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 10,000 shares of company stock worth $2,153,645 over the last 90 days. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:HSY opened at $216.88 on Monday. Hershey Company has a one year low of $150.04 and a one year high of $239.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.97, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.14. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $210.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of $193.42. 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 (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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.31. The firm had revenue of $3.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.97 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 27.90% and a net margin of 7.55%.The business’s revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.69 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be issued a $1.452 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. 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 dividend yield of 2.7%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is presently 133.87%.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have issued reports on HSY shares. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $185.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $188.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Zacks Research raised Hershey from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $238.00 price target on Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $222.21.

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.