Advisory Services Network LLC Has $3.80 Million Holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Advisory Services Network LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 21.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 22,439 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,006 shares during the period. Advisory Services Network LLC's holdings in Hershey were worth $3,800,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in HSY. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp grew its position in Hershey by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp now owns 4,500 shares of the company's stock valued at $762,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the period. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A increased its stake in shares of Hershey by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A now owns 3,240 shares of the company's stock valued at $549,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. increased its position in shares of Hershey by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 5,546 shares of the company's stock valued at $939,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA raised its stake in shares of Hershey by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 5,438 shares of the company's stock worth $921,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the period. Finally, Waterfront Wealth Inc. lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Waterfront Wealth Inc. now owns 5,744 shares of the company's stock valued at $973,000 after buying an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

HSY has been the subject of several research analyst reports. UBS Group reduced their price target 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. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Hershey in a report on Monday, March 24th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $183.00 target price for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Citigroup upgraded Hershey from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $159.00 to $154.00 in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $162.50.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HSY traded up $5.15 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $170.80. 755,385 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,799,960. The stock has a market cap of $34.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.67, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.28. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $167.39 and a 200 day simple moving average of $171.16. The Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $140.13 and a 1 year high of $211.92.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a net margin of 19.83% and a return on equity of 44.77%. On average, research analysts forecast that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th were issued a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.21%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction 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 in the company, valued at approximately $396,936. The trade was a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.34% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.