Hendley & Co. Inc. Has $5.48 Million Stock Holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Hendley & Co. Inc. lowered its stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 26.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 32,376 shares of the company's stock after selling 11,733 shares during the quarter. Hershey accounts for 1.9% of Hendley & Co. Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position. Hendley & Co. Inc.'s holdings in Hershey were worth $5,483,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the third quarter worth $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 248.0% during the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the period. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. grew its stake 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 during the period. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter valued at about $46,000. Finally, City State Bank lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 210.0% in the 4th quarter. City State Bank now owns 310 shares of the company's stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.

Hershey Stock Performance

Hershey stock traded up $0.75 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $178.59. 2,732,850 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,123,412. The company has a market cap of $36.14 billion, a PE ratio of 16.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.37. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $160.47 and a 200 day moving average price of $177.74. The Hershey Company has a one year low of $140.13 and a one year 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.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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, equities analysts forecast that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 17th will be issued a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.07%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.28%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of Hershey 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 sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $396,936. The trade was a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.34% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Bank of America reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $180.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. TD Cowen dropped their target price on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Barclays cut their target price on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Citigroup raised shares of Hershey from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $159.00 to $154.00 in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have issued a hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $164.15.

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.