Bank of New York Mellon Corp trimmed its stake in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY – Free Report) by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 941,582 shares of the company’s stock after selling 17,090 shares during the quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp’s holdings in Hershey were worth $176,123,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Hershey by 1.1% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 18,840,577 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,126,594,000 after buying an additional 210,131 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Hershey by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,116,739 shares of the company’s stock worth $849,123,000 after acquiring an additional 125,100 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Hershey by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,567,373 shares of the company’s stock valued at $755,305,000 after purchasing an additional 126,519 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,276,326 shares of the company’s stock valued at $543,712,000 after purchasing an additional 144,640 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,420,491 shares of the company’s stock worth $235,731,000 after purchasing an additional 29,462 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.
Hershey Price Performance
Shares of NYSE HSY opened at $194.74 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $39.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.11 and a beta of 0.18. Hershey Company has a twelve month low of $140.13 and a twelve month high of $201.86. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $187.24 and a two-hundred day moving average of $184.42. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Bank of America raised their price target on Hershey from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Evercore ISI reissued a “positive” rating on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of Hershey from $185.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Hershey to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Hershey has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $191.79.
View Our Latest Report on Hershey
Key Stories Impacting Hershey
Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Zacks added HSY to its Rank #1 (Strong Buy) list and to its income-stock recommendations — a formal upgrade that can attract investor flows and income-focused buyers. New Strong Buy Stocks for January 30th Best Income Stocks to Buy for January 30th
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts and previews expect Hershey to beat Q4 estimates based on solid demand, pricing power and brand strength — earnings beats typically drive short-term stock gains. Hershey Expected to Beat Earnings Estimates Q4 Earnings on Deck: What to Expect
- Positive Sentiment: Product innovation: Jolly Rancher launched a new spicy gummy collaboration (VeeFriends), which can boost seasonal demand and brand buzz — a tangible growth catalyst for confection sales. Hot Take: Jolly Rancher Just Made Gummies Spicy
- Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and earnings optimism article highlights both potential upside from continued margin improvement and the stock’s premium multiple — useful context but mixed impact short term. A Look At Hershey Valuation As Earnings Optimism And New Jolly Rancher Gummies Draw Attention
- Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage note: HSY traded up while broader market dipped — shows defensive demand but not a definitive directional signal. Hershey Rises As Market Takes a Dip
- Negative Sentiment: MarketWatch flags that HSY still underperformed key competitors on a relative basis despite daily gains — relative weakness could limit further multiple expansion until comps show similar strength. Hershey Co. stock underperforms Friday when compared to competitors despite daily gains
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other Hershey news, CEO Kirk Tanner bought 2,000 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $185.46 per share, with a total value of $370,920.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 47,860 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,876,115.60. This represents a 4.36% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $198.67, for a total value of $298,005.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 52,319 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,394,215.73. This represents a 2.79% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,119,450. Insiders own 0.34% 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.
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