Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC Has $897,000 Stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC reduced its stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 5.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,299 shares of the company’s stock after selling 300 shares during the period. Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $897,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 248.0% in the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth about $46,000. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at about $48,000. Finally, ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 100 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on HSY. Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded shares of Hershey from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $230.00 to $205.00 in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on Hershey from $180.00 to $170.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 24th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Hershey from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 17th. 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 research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Piper Sandler cut Hershey from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $153.00 to $120.00 in a report on Friday. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and thirteen have issued a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Hershey presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $170.05.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:HSY opened at $152.00 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $167.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $182.50. The Hershey Company has a twelve month low of $147.60 and a twelve month high of $211.92. 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 capitalization of $30.76 billion, a PE ratio of 17.51, a P/E/G ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.38.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.61%. Hershey’s dividend 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.