Sky Investment Group LLC Purchases 100 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Sky Investment Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 9.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,190 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Sky Investment Group LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $202,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in HSY. LaFleur & Godfrey LLC boosted its stake in shares of Hershey by 8.3% during the fourth quarter. LaFleur & Godfrey LLC now owns 46,708 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,910,000 after purchasing an additional 3,578 shares in the last quarter. Cove Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter valued at $261,000. Mitchell Mcleod Pugh & Williams Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 86.9% in the 4th quarter. Mitchell Mcleod Pugh & Williams Inc. now owns 4,782 shares of the company’s stock valued at $810,000 after acquiring an additional 2,223 shares during the period. AMI Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Hershey by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. AMI Investment Management Inc. now owns 11,005 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,864,000 after acquiring an additional 288 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mechanics Bank Trust Department lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 44.8% during the 4th quarter. Mechanics Bank Trust Department now owns 2,700 shares of the company’s stock worth $457,000 after purchasing an additional 835 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Stock Performance

NYSE HSY opened at $152.82 on Tuesday. 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.61, a PEG ratio of 4.31 and a beta of 0.38. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $171.86 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $184.39.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were given a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.59%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is presently 63.13%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on HSY. Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $180.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Hershey from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Mizuho cut their price target on shares of Hershey from $195.00 to $170.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 23rd. Barclays decreased their price objective on Hershey from $180.00 to $170.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have assigned a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Hershey has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $176.42.

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.