Capital International Inc. CA Buys 11,691 Shares of Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Capital International Inc. CA grew its stake in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 18.4% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 75,160 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 11,691 shares during the quarter. Capital International Inc. CA’s holdings in Hershey were worth $14,059,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Liberty One Investment Management LLC increased its position in Hershey by 32.4% in the third quarter. Liberty One Investment Management LLC now owns 38,076 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,122,000 after buying an additional 9,309 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of Hershey by 166.8% in the third quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 39,200 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,332,000 after buying an additional 24,509 shares during the period. CORDA Investment Management LLC. lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 6.6% during the 3rd quarter. CORDA Investment Management LLC. now owns 113,746 shares of the company’s stock valued at $21,276,000 after buying an additional 7,064 shares during the last quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 6.4% during the 3rd quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 42,538 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,957,000 after acquiring an additional 2,573 shares during the period. Finally, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. increased its holdings in Hershey by 9.4% in the 3rd quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 60,978 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,406,000 after acquiring an additional 5,239 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY opened at $218.74 on Wednesday. Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $150.04 and a 12-month high of $239.48. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. The company has a market cap of $44.34 billion, a PE ratio of 50.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.14. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $208.64 and a 200-day moving average price of $192.68.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. Hershey had a net margin of 7.55% and a return on equity of 27.90%. The company had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.69 EPS. The firm’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. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on HSY. Stephens upped their price objective on shares of Hershey from $200.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $250.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, February 6th. DA Davidson set a $243.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $249.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $222.21.

Trending Headlines about Hershey

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets have recently moved HSY onto “Strong Buy” / buy-on-the-dip lists, highlighting Hershey’s defensive cash flow, brand strength and stable demand — a vote of confidence from some retail/quant shops that may attract buyers. Buy Hershey (HSY) Stock on the Dip for Defensive Safety?
• Positive Sentiment: Hershey was added to Zacks’ Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and to several “best income” lists, which can support demand from income-focused and momentum investors. New Strong Buy Stocks for March 9th
• Positive Sentiment: Product innovation: new SKUs and extensions (DOT’S Original Snack Mix, and a new Twizzlers Straws flavor) expand merchandising and seasonal/impulse opportunities — a modest long-term positive for top-line and retailer shelf space. DOT’S® INTRODUCES DOT’S ORIGINAL SNACK MIX Twizzlers Launches New Twizzlers Straws Flavor
• Neutral Sentiment: Hershey has outperformed the S&P 500 over the past year, but some analyst notes emphasize limited upside from current valuations and advise caution — performance history helps sentiment, but forward returns aren’t guaranteed. Is Hershey Stock Outperforming the S&P 500?
• Negative Sentiment: MarketWatch flags that Hershey underperformed peers on Tuesday, a datapoint investors view as relative weakness that can prompt portfolio rebalancing away from HSY. Hershey Co. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitors
• Negative Sentiment: Some pieces question whether cash-rich names like Hershey are optimally allocating capital; critiques about cash use and high multiples increase investor scrutiny and can pressure the stock. 3 Cash-Producing Stocks We Think Twice About
• Positive Sentiment: MSN’s “Bull of the Day” profile highlights Hershey’s bullish case and could draw attention from momentum traders and retail investors. Bull of the Day: The Hershey Co. (HSY)

Insider Activity at Hershey

In related news, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of the business’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 value 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. The trade was a 4.65% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Rohit Grover sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total transaction of $791,245.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 34,568 shares in the company, valued at $7,814,787.76. The trade was a 9.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 10,000 shares of company stock valued at $2,153,645. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Hershey 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.