Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Issues FY 2025 Earnings Guidance

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) issued an update on its FY 2025 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 6.000-6.180 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 7.360. The company issued revenue guidance of $11.4 billion-$11.4 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $11.4 billion.

Hershey Stock Performance

HSY traded up $2.64 on Friday, reaching $154.98. The company had a trading volume of 2,394,691 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,139,031. Hershey has a 1 year low of $140.13 and a 1 year high of $211.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $31.36 billion, a PE ratio of 14.22, a P/E/G ratio of 4.89 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $164.38 and a 200-day moving average price of $180.52.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a net margin of 19.83% and a return on equity of 44.77%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Hershey will post 6.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 17th will be paid a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.54%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is presently 50.28%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have commented on HSY. Piper Sandler lowered shares of Hershey from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $153.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $150.00 to $134.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have issued a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Hershey currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $166.35.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In other Hershey news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total value of $41,144.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Company Profile

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.