Rep. Carol D. Miller Purchases Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Representative Carol D. Miller (R-West Virginia) recently bought shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY). In a filing disclosed on April 11th, the Representative disclosed that they had bought between $1,001 and $15,000 in Hershey stock on March 10th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “MATT MILLER INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT ACCOUNT” account.

Representative Carol D. Miller also recently made the following trade(s):

• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Aflac (NYSE:AFL) on 3/10/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) on 3/10/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) on 3/10/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) on 3/10/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) on 3/10/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Honeywell International (NASDAQ:HON) on 3/10/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB) on 3/10/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) on 3/10/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Target (NYSE:TGT) on 3/10/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of American Water Works (NYSE:AWK) on 3/10/2025.

Hershey Trading Down 1.3 %

Shares of Hershey stock opened at $168.16 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $34.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.28. The Hershey Company has a 52-week low of $140.13 and a 52-week high of $211.92. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $168.19 and its 200-day simple moving average is $170.98. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th were paid a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.26%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.28%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on HSY shares. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of Hershey from $150.00 to $134.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Hershey in a research report on Monday, March 24th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $183.00 price target for the company. DA Davidson lowered their price target on Hershey from $164.00 to $149.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 10th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $178.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered Hershey from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $153.00 to $120.00 in a report on Friday, January 31st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have assigned a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Hershey has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $163.05.

Institutional Trading of Hershey

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Capital International Investors boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 31.4% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 12,460,147 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,110,126,000 after purchasing an additional 2,980,997 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,635,390 shares of the company’s stock valued at $785,003,000 after purchasing an additional 247,675 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Hershey by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,801,145 shares of the company’s stock worth $642,139,000 after purchasing an additional 47,394 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its position in Hershey by 38.6% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,628,047 shares of the company’s stock worth $275,710,000 after purchasing an additional 453,428 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp lifted its position in Hershey by 10.8% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,578,957 shares of the company’s stock valued at $267,396,000 after buying an additional 154,238 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Hershey news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at $396,936. The trade was a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Representative Miller

Carol Miller (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing West Virginia’s 1st Congressional District. She assumed office on January 3, 2023. Her current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Miller (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent West Virginia’s 1st Congressional District. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

West Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District race was identified as a 2018 battleground that might have affected partisan control of the U.S. House in the 116th Congress. Incumbent Evan Jenkins (R) did not seek re-election in 2018, leaving the seat open. In the campaign, Miller emphasized her endorsement by President Donald Trump (R). Lara Trump, Senior Advisor to Donald J. Trump for President, Inc., said, “Carol is pro-coal, pro-Second Amendment, and pro-Trump through and through, and is prepared to tackle the opioid epidemic that’s affected countless West Virginians.” Miller also supported the construction of a wall on the southern U.S. border and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).

Miller is a former Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 16 from 2006 to 2018.

Miller has also worked in real estate and owns a bison farm.

Carol Miller was born in Columbus, Ohio. Miller graduated from Bexley High School in 1968. She earned a B.S. from Columbia College in 1972. Her career experience includes owning and operating Swann Ridge Bison Farm and working as a real estate manager.

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.