DA Davidson Has Bearish Forecast for Hershey FY2025 Earnings

The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) – Equities research analysts at DA Davidson dropped their FY2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Hershey in a research note issued on Monday, February 3rd. DA Davidson analyst B. Holland now expects that the company will post earnings of $6.88 per share for the year, down from their prior estimate of $8.02. The consensus estimate for Hershey’s current full-year earnings is $9.06 per share.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on HSY. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $180.00 to $170.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 17th. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Hershey from $189.00 to $163.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Bernstein Bank reduced their target price on Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have issued a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $167.10.

Hershey Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE HSY opened at $145.96 on Wednesday. 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 company has a market cap of $29.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.82, a P/E/G ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.37. Hershey has a 52 week low of $140.13 and a 52 week high of $211.92. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $165.80 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $181.22.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in Hershey by 248.0% in the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. grew its position in shares of Hershey by 61.7% in the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the third quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Finally, Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey during the third quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of Hershey 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $396,936. The trade was a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.34% of the stock is 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.