Colonial Trust Advisors Cuts Stock Position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Colonial Trust Advisors decreased its position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 10.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 28,727 shares of the company's stock after selling 3,212 shares during the quarter. Colonial Trust Advisors' holdings in Hershey were worth $4,865,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $80,978,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Hershey by 66.7% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 972,836 shares of the company's stock valued at $186,571,000 after buying an additional 389,404 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Hershey by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,635,390 shares of the company's stock valued at $785,003,000 after buying an additional 247,675 shares during the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter worth $21,439,000. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at $18,273,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer now 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on HSY shares. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and issued a $178.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday, February 3rd. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Citigroup upgraded shares of Hershey from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and reduced their price target for the company from $159.00 to $154.00 in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Hershey in a research report on Monday, March 24th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $183.00 price objective on the stock. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $162.50.

Hershey Price Performance

HSY stock traded up $4.60 during trading on Monday, hitting $170.25. The stock had a trading volume of 1,637,429 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,799,963. The stock has a market cap of $34.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.96. The company's 50 day moving average price is $167.39 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $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 announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share (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, sell-side analysts forecast that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS 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 given a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.22%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is currently 50.28%.

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.