Latest news with #Pirate'sBooty
Wall Street Journal
16-04-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
How Costco's Kirkland Signature Beer Finally Hit the Mark
During a recent Costco run, I filled an oversize shopping cart with my family's favorite bulk buys. Pirate's Booty for my daughter. Protein powder for my wife. For me? I wheeled to the beer aisle and grabbed a 12-pack of Kirkland Signature Helles-Style Lager, a Costco-only release by Deschutes Brewery of Bend, Ore.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Stock Market Sell-Off: 1 Magnificent S&P 500 Dividend Stock Down 40% to Buy Right Now at a Once-in-a-Decade Valuation
So far this year, the S&P 500 index has dropped 19% from its highs. While I typically view these sell-offs as an opportunity to add up on some of my best-performing growth stocks (such as The Trade Desk or Wingstop), one of my favorite dividend stocks has also fallen through the cracks. Or technically, I should say, one of my daughter's favorite dividend stocks: The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY). While I usually look to add up rather than double down on stocks for my daughter and me, I'm comfortable making Hershey the exception to this rule thanks to its recession-resilient offerings, growing dividend, and discounted valuation. With the beloved brand's stock down 42% from its all-time highs due to an array of shorter-term issues (primarily elevated cocoa prices), here are four reasons why Hershey looks like a magnificent S&P 500 dividend stock to buy during the sell-off. Hershey is home to the three most widely recognized chocolate brands in the United States: Hershey's, Reese's, and Kit Kat (which it sells in the U.S. for Nestlé). However, despite the popularity of its namesake brand, Hershey's growth story stems from a long list of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), including the additions of: Reese's in 1963 Twizzlers in 1977 Jolly Rancher, Milk Duds, Whoppers, Pay Day, Good & Plenty, and Heath brands in 1996 Skinnypop popcorn and Pirate's Booty rice and corn puffs in 2017 Dot's Pretzels and Lily's Sweets in 2021 Sour Strips in 2024 and LesserEvil in 2025 Powered by this strategy as a serial acquirer, Hershey has delivered 12% annualized total returns since 1972, outpacing the S&P 500's long-term average of 10%. Another way to show the success of Hershey's strategy is to look at its cash return on invested capital (ROIC). Averaging 21% over the last two decades, this high cash ROIC shows that management excels at finding M&A opportunities in the market and integrating them successfully into The Hershey Company. Measuring the cash return the company generates from the debt and equity it uses in its operations, Hershey's 21% cash ROIC ranks in the top 100 of the S&P 500 -- a historical signal of potential outperformance. Better yet for investors, Hershey has struck again, announcing the $750 million acquisition of LesserEvil earlier this month. Rising to popularity for its array of organic puffs, popcorn, and curls made in coconut oil, LesserEvil seems like the perfect fit for Hershey as the larger company looks to continue diversifying its portfolio beyond chocolate. While LesserEvil's revenue only equals roughly 1% of Hershey's sales, it gives the company access to a high-growth brand in a "better-for-you" snacking niche growing by 12% annually. Whether through simpler and cleaner ingredients, zero- and low-sugar options, or high-protein products, Hershey intends to play a key role in the healthier-snacks industry. This acquisition supports that notion. With Hershey's salty, better-for-you, and sweet sales rising 21%, 9%, and 7% over the last seven years, look for these innovative products to become the next chapter of the company's growth story. Although Hershey has historically spent heavily on M&A, it has never neglected its dividend raises. Increasing its payouts for 15 consecutive years, the snacking behemoth has boosted its dividend yield to a whopping 3.4%: Roughly 50% higher than its 10-year average, this 3.4% yield looks like a once-in-a-decade opportunity. Despite being higher than usual, this dividend only uses 49% of Hershey's net income and 56% of its free cash flow (FCF) for funding. These figures show that the dividend is very safe, especially considering Hershey's resilient operations. It also leaves plenty of wiggle room for future increases for investors. In addition to Hershey's dividend yield being near a once-in-a-decade high, its earnings and FCF yields are also at a decade-long high: The inverse of the price-to-earnings (P/E) and price-to-FCF (P/FCF) ratios (so higher means cheaper), these high earnings and FCF yields also look like a once-in-a-decade opportunity. While the company's true valuation probably lies somewhere in between these two yields due to fluctuations in working capital, it remains much more attractive than the S&P 500's average FCF yield of around 3.5%. Ultimately, 2025 is going to be a rough year for Hershey, as cocoa prices remain more than three times (or about 256%) higher than it was five years ago. However, Hershey has already been fighting these ballooning prices. As the chart above shows, the company has maintained positive FCF generation in the past, and even saw a healthy rebound as cocoa prices cooled slightly before spiking again. That said, I'm more than happy to wait for a turnaround in this magnificent dividend stock. While this headwind will persist indefinitely, Hershey's stable FCF, once-in-a-decade valuation and dividend yield, and expanding snacking portfolio make it a perfect long-term holding for my daughter to hang on to for another decade. Before you buy stock in Hershey, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Hershey wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $509,884!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $700,739!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 820% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 158% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of April 5, 2025 Josh Kohn-Lindquist has positions in Hershey, The Trade Desk, and Wingstop. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Hershey and The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool recommends Nestlé and Wingstop. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Stock Market Sell-Off: 1 Magnificent S&P 500 Dividend Stock Down 40% to Buy Right Now at a Once-in-a-Decade Valuation was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Pirate's Booty' Founder Goes Rogue, Attempts City Council Coup
At 9:44 on the morning of Monday, March 10, Robert Ehrlich — the snack magnate behind Pirate's Booty — stormed into the city offices of Sea Cliff, N.Y., and falsely proclaimed himself mayor. According to a statement provided by the Village of Sea Cliff, Ehrlich proceeded to demand office space and declared the entire staff fired 'effectively immediately,' with the caveat that they could all reapply for their jobs at a later date. The cheese puff king, who had three supporters with him, cited a 2009 New York law called the Citizen's Empowerment Act as basis for his claim. The law empowers citizens to dissolve or reformulate their town if they get the backing of at least 10 percent of the town's voters. Under the law, Ehrlich said he was mayor of a new village, called the Incorporated Village of Sea Cliff Residents, and claimed to have an envelope with 1,800 signatures ― but no one was allowed to see them, because the signatories were afraid of retribution. 'I'm interpreting the law any way I want, the way Trump would interpret laws as he sees fit,' the businessman told the Sea Cliff-Glen Head Herald, apparently without irony. 'It's called trickle down politics, which is what we're doing.' He also compared his actions to someone invading another country ― but in a good way, or something. 'When someone takes Austria or Ukraine, they don't go and ask for permission, they just do it,' he told the paper. 'I'm asserting my rights to have a free, open life, and have transparency.' Town officials told Ehrlich his claims lacked even a kernel of truth. Police escorted the snack man and his three backers from the building after about an hour 'of escalating hostility.' 'While Village staff remained calm and professional throughout the incident, Ehrlich and his associates raised their voices, used profane language, made outlandish claims, and engaged in direct harassment of Village personnel,' the city said. 'Despite multiple requests to leave, they refused, creating a hostile and disruptive environment that required police intervention.' Undeterred, Ehrlich embarked on a write-in campaign to unseat the incumbent mayor, Elena Villafance, in an election held this Tuesday. Ehrlich proclaimed himself the victor 30 minutes after the polls opened, according to the New York Post. A final ballot count, however, showed just 62 votes in his favor and 1,064 for the incumbent. He told the Post in a followup interview that 'voter suppression' is to blame for his loss, and compared himself to Anne Frank. Social Security Chief's 'Turn It Off' Comment Is Latest Insane Turn For Beleaguered Agency Elon Musk Could Be Briefed On Top-Secret U.S. Plan For Potential War With China Maine Inn Owner Reveals Damning Impact Of Trump's Canada Rhetoric On His Business Detentions Of European Tourists At U.S. Borders Spark Fears Of Traveling To America
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pirate's Booty founder stages mutiny, loses Long Island mayoral election
Pirate's Booty founder Robert Ehrlich attempted a mutiny in a tiny Long Island village shortly before losing his campaign for mayor, local officials confirmed. On March 10, officials say Ehrlich and three supporters stormed into Sea Cliff Village Hall in Nassau County, declared himself mayor and attempted to fire all village staff, citing an obscure state law regarding the dissolvement of local governments. According to Ehrlich, the New York Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act allows citizens to completely replace the current government with another. However, the law requires support from 10% of registered voters to dissolve the government, according to the Long Island Herald. When Ehrlich and his supporters were told their claims were invalid and were asked repeatedly to leave, officials said they became 'increasingly confrontational.' A village administrator told NBC News on Thursday that Ehrlich continued to assert he had enough petition signatures to replace the government, while refusing to hand over the signatures to be verified. 'Ehrlich and his associates raised their voices, used profane language, made outlandish claims and engaged in direct harassment of Village personnel,' Sea Cliff said in a statement. After an hour of hostility, police intervened and Ehrlich eventually left the building. Following the chaotic altercation, the snack brand founder became a write-in candidate for Tuesday's mayoral election. However, he decisively lost to incumbent Elena Villafane in a vote of 1,064-62, Sea Cliff officials confirmed Wednesday. Ehrlich told NBC News the 'rigged' results didn't matter, claiming he's already the mayor. He also dismissed the idea of running again in two years. 'No, I'm mayor now. Why do I have to wait two years?' he told the outlet. 'I am mayor at this moment. I can write an executive order.' Ehrlich has claimed that current officials have not done enough to deliver services in a timely manner and revive local business. In response to his attempted takeover, Mayor Villafane told News 12 Long Island the while she 'welcome[s] the dialogue,' she's not sure that 'doing it in this sort of unorthodox fashion' helps the residents of Sea Cliff.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pirate's Booty founder Robert Ehrlich compares himself to Anne Frank after blowout election loss — and plans to start issuing ‘executive orders'
Voters threw him overboard, but he's still making waves. The founder of popular Pirate's Booty cheese puff snack who got clobbered in his longshot Long Island village mayoral bid claimed the tally was rigged and shockingly compared his blowout loss to the plight of Anne Frank. Robert Ehrlich, the self-described 'Captain of Booty,' chalked up his Sea Cliff election loss to 'voter suppression' on Wednesday — a day after notching just 62 write-in votes to incumbent Mayor Elena Villafane's 1,064. 'Today I was shocked,' Ehrlich, 66, said in a text message to The Post. 'To see the entire village of Sea Cliff turn into Anne Frank and the election was the SS looking at the books,' Ehrlich's lengthy message continued. Ehrlich has a history of accusing the Nassau County village of antisemitism. During a 2004 zoning dispute, he accused Sea Cliff officials of discriminating against him and his businesses because he is Jewish, losing this case and having to pay back $900,000 to the village. Now, he references the Nassau County Police Department 'raiding' his coffee shop and threatening to arrest him after holding his own 'vote' on Tuesday — where Ehrlich claims to have captured nearly 1,000 votes on homemade ballots — still less than Villafane. On Election Day, Ehrlich told The Post that he expected this 'official result,' accusing the village of 'manufacturing' its vote tally. 'They tried to give me a number that was so low that I couldn't even say I had 10% to challenge,' he told The Post after the results were released. Ehrlich declared himself the 'winner' just 30 minutes after the polls opened Tuesday and is still claiming the title of mayor for what he calls the 'Incorporated Village of Sea Cliff Residents' — which he says he created through a little-known state law called the Citizen Empowerment Act. The 2009 state law empowers residents to dissolve or reformulate their community if they can gather signatures from 10% of the town. On the day he stormed the village hall last week, Ehrlich claimed he had 1,800 signatures, but he refused to publicize them, claiming he was protecting the signers afraid of retribution from the 5,000 person town. 'What if they see my name and then I'm blacklisted from ever getting another permit again,' an anonymous Ehrlich voter told The Post on Election Day. Ehrlich said he is now strategizing how to move forward after the election. He said he plans to start issuing 'executive orders' for Sea Cliff in the coming weeks, including issuing permits for septic systems, outdoor seating, and more. He vowed to pay for any litigation or fines for the residents and businesses he issues these allowances to, and urged Gov. Kathy Hochul to come to Long Island and 'set the record straight' for Sea Cliff. Villafane, however, said she will no longer 'tolerate any further attempts to undermine the governance of this Village.' 'Any efforts to disrupt or interfere with their work will be addressed through all appropriate and lawful means,' she said. Last election, Villafane won with just 182 votes, but this year's tiny local election churned out a nearly sixfold increase in turnout. 'I probably wouldn't have voted today if it wasn't for all of the craziness,' Tim Wegner, a 29-year-old Sea Cliff resident, told The Post outside of the polling location Tuesday. Residents like Wegner told The Post that due to Ehrlich's antics, they felt this year's ballot weighed more than previous years — bringing out voters, like Wegner, who had never participated in past local elections.
