Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC Sells 3,828 Shares of Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 13.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 23,775 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,828 shares during the quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $4,447,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in HSY. Viawealth LLC bought a new position in Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $233,000. Cambria Investment Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the third quarter worth $241,000. Mengis Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 2.5% during the third quarter. Mengis Capital Management Inc. now owns 22,950 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,293,000 after buying an additional 550 shares in the last quarter. Skba Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 19.2% during the third quarter. Skba Capital Management LLC now owns 75,330 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,090,000 after buying an additional 12,150 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,141,790 shares of the company’s stock valued at $213,540,000 after acquiring an additional 56,675 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hershey Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of NYSE:HSY opened at $225.13 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $45.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $150.04 and a 12-month high of $239.48. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $207.07 and a 200 day simple moving average of $192.11.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.31. The firm had revenue of $3.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.97 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 27.90% and a net margin of 7.55%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.69 EPS. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. Analysts predict that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be issued a $1.452 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. This is a boost from Hershey’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.37. This represents a $5.81 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 133.87%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, February 6th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Hershey from $195.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Barclays lifted their price target on Hershey from $210.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. DA Davidson set a $243.00 price target on Hershey in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Stephens upped their price objective on Hershey from $200.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $222.21.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other Hershey news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $219.66, for a total transaction of $329,490.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 50,819 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,162,901.54. This represents a 2.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Jason Reiman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’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 transaction, the senior vice president owned 41,036 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,277,008.52. The trade was a 4.65% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 10,000 shares of company stock worth $2,153,645 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Company 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.