The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Sold by Beese Fulmer Investment Management Inc.

Beese Fulmer Investment Management Inc. decreased its position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 3.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 40,429 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,376 shares during the period. Beese Fulmer Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $6,847,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust grew its holdings in Hershey by 248.0% in the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth about $46,000. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth about $48,000. Finally, ST Germain D J Co. Inc. grew its holdings in Hershey by 61.7% in the fourth quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Bernstein Bank decreased their price target on shares of Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Hershey from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Redburn Atlantic initiated coverage on Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. They issued a “sell” rating and a $165.00 price objective on the stock. TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $180.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $166.85.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of HSY stock opened at $152.43 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $30.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.56, a P/E/G ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.38. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $165.24 and a two-hundred day moving average of $180.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.54. The Hershey Company has a 1-year low of $140.13 and a 1-year high of $211.92.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a return on equity of 43.24% and a net margin of 16.17%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that The Hershey Company will post 9.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th will be given a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.60%. Hershey’s payout ratio is currently 63.13%.

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.