Sigma Planning Corp increased its stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY – Free Report) by 22.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,234 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 412 shares during the quarter. Sigma Planning Corp’s holdings in Hershey were worth $378,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of HSY. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in Hershey by 248.0% in the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the period. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. lifted its holdings in Hershey by 61.7% in the fourth quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Hershey in the third quarter worth about $46,000. Finally, City State Bank lifted its holdings in Hershey by 210.0% in the fourth quarter. City State Bank now owns 310 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several research firms recently weighed in on HSY. Bernstein Bank reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $189.00 to $163.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and set a $180.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $164.15.
Hershey Price Performance
NYSE HSY opened at $172.33 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $160.53 and a 200-day simple moving average of $177.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.37. The Hershey Company has a 52-week low of $140.13 and a 52-week high of $211.92.
Hershey (NYSE:HSY – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a net margin of 19.83% and a return on equity of 44.77%. Equities research analysts predict that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Hershey Dividend Announcement
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th will be given a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.18%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.28%.
Insider Transactions at Hershey
In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.
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.
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