Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.29 EPS

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 Up 4.5 %

Shares of HSY traded up $6.51 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $152.43. 4,117,583 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,050,884. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. Hershey has a twelve month low of $140.13 and a twelve month high of $211.92. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $165.24 and a two-hundred day moving average of $180.97. The stock has a market cap of $30.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.56, a P/E/G ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.38.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced 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. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.60%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.13%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HSY has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on shares of Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on Hershey from $180.00 to $170.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Redburn Atlantic began coverage on Hershey in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set a “sell” rating and a $165.00 target price on the stock. Citigroup dropped their price target on Hershey from $165.00 to $159.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have assigned a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Hershey presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $167.10.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total value of $41,144.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.