Barclays Has Lowered Expectations for Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Stock Price

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its price objective dropped by stock analysts at Barclays from $170.00 to $160.00 in a research note issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Barclays‘s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 3.24% from the stock’s previous close.

HSY has been the topic of a number of other reports. DA Davidson cut their price objective on Hershey from $164.00 to $149.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Bernstein Bank decreased their price objective on shares of Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Redburn Atlantic initiated coverage on shares of Hershey in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They issued a “sell” rating and a $165.00 target price on the stock. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their price target on shares of Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $165.05.

Hershey Stock Performance

HSY stock opened at $154.98 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $31.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.22, a P/E/G ratio of 4.89 and a beta of 0.37. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $164.38 and a two-hundred day moving average of $180.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. Hershey has a 12 month low of $140.13 and a 12 month high of $211.92.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a net margin of 19.83% and a return on equity of 44.77%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Hershey will post 6.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of HSY. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC bought a new position in Hershey during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Grove Bank & Trust boosted its position in Hershey by 248.0% in the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Hershey during the third quarter worth about $46,000. Finally, ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 61.7% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.