Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC increased its stake in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 166.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 39,200 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 24,509 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $7,332,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of HSY. Choreo LLC boosted its stake in shares of Hershey by 3.6% in the 2nd quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 1,708 shares of the company’s stock valued at $283,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the period. Bellevue Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Hershey by 13.5% in the third quarter. Bellevue Asset Management LLC now owns 514 shares of the company’s stock valued at $96,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Hershey by 12.3% in the second quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 567 shares of the company’s stock worth $94,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators grew its holdings in Hershey by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 798 shares of the company’s stock worth $149,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased 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 purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Hershey News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson raised its price target on HSY to $207, providing near-term upside support from a reputable analyst and likely contributing to buying interest. DA Davidson Raises Hershey Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies published a bullish forecast for strong price appreciation for Hershey, reinforcing positive sentiment among growth/value investors ahead of earnings. Jefferies Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation
• Positive Sentiment: Hershey rolled out an Easter product lineup (new Jolly Rancher Gummies Fruity Mix plus expanded Cadbury and Reese’s seasonal SKUs), a seasonal push that could lift near-term sales and margins if consumer response is strong. Hershey Easter Collection Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Market previews note Hershey reports earnings tomorrow; expectations and guidance will likely drive intraday volatility as investors focus on pricing, margins and international performance. Hershey Earnings Preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Benzinga’s earnings outlook summarizes analyst expectations and scenarios for HSY’s upcoming report — useful for gauging whether results could beat or miss consensus. Earnings Outlook For Hershey
• Neutral Sentiment: An overview of Hershey’s role in consumer staples and the S&P 500 underscores its defensive profile—important context for portfolio positioning but not an immediate price mover. Hershey Presence in S&P 500
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks highlights sector-wide margin strain and inflation-weary consumers; such headwinds could pressure Hershey’s margins and weigh on forward guidance if cost pass-through is limited. Consumer Staples Earnings to Watch
• Negative Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating with a $185 price target, signaling downside risk relative to current levels and reminding investors that disappointment in results/guidance could prompt selling. RBC Reaffirms Sector Perform

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $198.67, for a total transaction 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 trade represents a 2.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Stacy Taffet bought 200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $186.19 per share, for a total transaction of $37,238.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider directly owned 9,371 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,744,786.49. This trade represents a 2.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock worth $1,119,450 in the last quarter. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY stock opened at $205.88 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $188.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $185.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 1.36. Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $140.13 and a 1 year high of $205.96. The firm has a market cap of $41.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.77 and a beta of 0.18.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HSY has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Hershey from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Hershey from $185.00 to $207.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on Hershey from $185.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. DA Davidson increased their price objective on Hershey from $185.00 to $207.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and set a $188.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and fifteen have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $197.56.

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.