Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) announced its earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.29, Zacks reports. Hershey had a net margin of 16.17% and a return on equity of 43.24%. Hershey updated its FY 2025 guidance to 6.000-6.180 EPS.

Hershey Stock Performance

Hershey stock traded up $2.52 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $154.86. 1,052,852 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,043,842. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $164.81 and its 200 day simple moving average is $180.78. Hershey has a 12-month low of $140.13 and a 12-month high of $211.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.85. The stock has a market cap of $31.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.38.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 17th will be given a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.54%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.13%.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In other Hershey news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 approximately $396,936. The trade was a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on HSY shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. UBS Group dropped their price target on Hershey from $189.00 to $163.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Barclays decreased their price objective on Hershey from $180.00 to $170.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 17th. Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and set a $180.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic started coverage on Hershey in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They issued a “sell” rating and a $165.00 price target for the company. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have assigned a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $166.35.

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.