Cerity Partners LLC Trims Stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Cerity Partners LLC lowered its stake in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 7.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 42,057 shares of the company's stock after selling 3,549 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC's holdings in Hershey were worth $7,443,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in HSY. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Hershey during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC bought a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Grove Bank & Trust lifted its stake in Hershey by 248.0% in the 4th 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. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new position in Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, ST Germain D J Co. Inc. grew its position in shares of Hershey by 61.7% during the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company's stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares of the company's stock, valued at $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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Hershey Stock Down 2.1 %

Shares of HSY stock traded down $3.53 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $164.42. 772,440 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,793,893. The Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $140.13 and a 12-month high of $211.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The stock has a market cap of $33.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.08, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.28. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $168.19 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $170.98.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, beating 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, analysts expect that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th were paid a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.33%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is presently 50.28%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on HSY shares. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Hershey from $173.00 to $165.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Hershey from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Friday, March 14th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Hershey from $189.00 to $163.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of Hershey from $150.00 to $134.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have assigned a hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $163.05.

About Hershey

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.