Farmers Trust Co. Increases Holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Farmers Trust Co. boosted its position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 4.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,913 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 150 shares during the quarter. Farmers Trust Co.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $663,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Hershey during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 55.0% in the 2nd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $46,000. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC purchased a new position in Hershey during the third quarter valued at $48,000. Finally, Quarry LP boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Down 2.0 %

Shares of NYSE HSY traded down $3.34 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $162.18. 1,996,859 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,282,824. The company has a market cap of $32.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.68, a P/E/G ratio of 4.38 and a beta of 0.38. The Hershey Company has a one year low of $159.87 and a one year 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’s 50 day simple moving average is $175.13 and its 200-day simple moving average is $185.94.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.38%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s payout ratio is currently 63.13%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on HSY. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays lowered their price objective on Hershey from $202.00 to $180.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 11th. UBS Group downgraded Hershey from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $226.00 to $209.00 in a report on Monday, October 7th. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $165.00 to $159.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Hershey from $160.00 to $150.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have assigned a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $182.21.

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.