The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Sold by Somerset Trust Co

Somerset Trust Co reduced its stake in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 23.5% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 3,108 shares of the company’s stock after selling 954 shares during the quarter. Somerset Trust Co’s holdings in Hershey were worth $526,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in HSY. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Hershey during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter worth $46,000. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth $48,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 61.7% during the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 123.9% during the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Price Performance

HSY stock opened at $152.82 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $171.86 and a 200 day moving average price of $184.39. The Hershey Company has a fifty-two week low of $150.31 and a fifty-two week 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 stock has a market cap of $30.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.61, a PEG ratio of 4.31 and a beta of 0.38.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared 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. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.13%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have commented on HSY. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price 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. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Hershey from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Redburn Atlantic began coverage on Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. They issued a “sell” rating and a $165.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on Hershey from $180.00 to $170.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have assigned a hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $176.42.

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.