Allianz SE Buys New Position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Allianz SE purchased a new stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 6,872 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,159,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Grove Bank & Trust increased its stake in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Vision Financial Markets LLC bought a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, ST Germain D J Co. Inc. boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 61.7% in the fourth 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 period. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Down 3.4 %

Shares of HSY stock traded down $5.72 on Wednesday, reaching $163.90. 1,643,752 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,784,956. The business's 50 day moving average price is $164.71 and its 200 day moving average price is $173.25. The company has a market capitalization of $33.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.04, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The Hershey Company has a twelve month low of $140.13 and a twelve month high of $211.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

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Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 17th were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.34%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is currently 50.28%.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HSY has been the topic of a number of research reports. Mizuho decreased their price objective on Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. TD Cowen dropped their price target on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Royal Bank of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $178.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Bank of America restated a "neutral" rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have assigned a hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Hershey currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $162.50.

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.