The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Sold by Commonwealth Equity Services LLC

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC cut its position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 7.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 85,420 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,731 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $14,466,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG purchased a new stake in Hershey during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,337,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Hershey by 66.7% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 972,836 shares of the company’s stock valued at $186,571,000 after purchasing an additional 389,404 shares in the last quarter. Woodstock Corp increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 34.8% in the fourth quarter. Woodstock Corp now owns 6,896 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,168,000 after purchasing an additional 1,780 shares during the last quarter. Elevate Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Hershey during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,939,000. Finally, Ethos Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in Hershey by 59.8% during the fourth quarter. Ethos Financial Group LLC now owns 3,962 shares of the company’s stock worth $671,000 after buying an additional 1,483 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY stock opened at $170.51 on Tuesday. The Hershey Company has a 52 week low of $140.13 and a 52 week high of $211.92. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $162.22 and a two-hundred day moving average of $175.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.51 billion, a PE ratio of 15.64, a P/E/G ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. On average, research analysts predict that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 17th were paid a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.21%. Hershey’s payout ratio is currently 50.28%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Hershey from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on shares of Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $178.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, TD Cowen cut their target price on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Hershey has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $163.75.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total value of $41,144.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.