The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Given Average Recommendation of "Reduce" by Brokerages

The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average recommendation of "Reduce" from the twenty-two brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and seventeen have issued a hold recommendation on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $164.67.

HSY has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Piper Sandler cut shares of Hershey from a "neutral" rating to an "underweight" rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $153.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Friday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut 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. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and issued a $178.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 10th.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of NYSE HSY traded up $1.12 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $168.30. 1,475,304 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,752,420. The company has a market capitalization of $34.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.44, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. Hershey has a 1 year low of $140.13 and a 1 year high of $211.92. 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 company's 50-day moving average is $162.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $174.80.

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

Hershey Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th were issued a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.26%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is currently 50.28%.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total value 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 $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HSY. Montag & Caldwell LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Putney Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.