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

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) posted its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 43.24% and a net margin of 16.17%. Hershey updated its FY 2025 guidance to 6.000-6.180 EPS.

Hershey Stock Performance

HSY stock traded up $6.51 during trading on Thursday, hitting $152.43. The company had a trading volume of 4,117,583 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,050,884. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $165.24 and a 200-day moving average price of $180.97. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The firm has a market cap of $30.84 billion, a PE ratio of 17.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.38. Hershey has a 1-year low of $140.13 and a 1-year high of $211.92.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th will be paid a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.60%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.13%.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the 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 directly owns 2,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have issued reports on HSY shares. Redburn Atlantic began coverage on shares of Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set a “sell” rating and a $165.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Hershey from $165.00 to $159.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Mizuho cut their price objective on Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Bernstein Bank reduced their price objective on Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Piper Sandler cut Hershey from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $153.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have issued a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $167.10.

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.