The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Sold by Davis R M Inc.

Davis R M Inc. decreased its stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 3.1% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 136,632 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,313 shares during the period. Davis R M Inc.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $26,203,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of HSY. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC lifted its stake in Hershey by 218.2% in the second quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 140 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Hershey by 55.0% during the second quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth $46,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Down 0.1 %

HSY stock opened at $174.81 on Monday. 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 12 month low of $168.16 and a 12 month high of $211.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.37 billion, a PE ratio of 20.14, a P/E/G ratio of 4.19 and a beta of 0.38. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $184.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $190.90.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th will be given a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.13%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s payout ratio is 63.13%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on HSY shares. Citigroup downgraded Hershey from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $195.00 to $182.00 in a research note on Tuesday, August 27th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $195.00 to $180.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Hershey in a report on Monday, August 12th. They issued a “sell” rating and a $185.00 price objective on the stock. Argus cut Hershey from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein cut Hershey from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $230.00 to $205.00 in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have given a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $189.33.

Hershey 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.