Hershey (HSY) to Release Earnings on Thursday

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) is expected to be issuing its quarterly earnings data before the market opens on Thursday, February 6th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $2.40 per share and revenue of $2.85 billion for the quarter. Persons interested in registering for the company's earnings conference call can do so using this link.

Hershey Price Performance

NYSE HSY traded up $2.77 on Thursday, hitting $152.00. 1,645,800 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,900,789. Hershey has a 52 week low of $147.60 and a 52 week high of $211.92. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $167.90 and a 200-day moving average of $182.50. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The stock has a market cap of $30.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.51, a P/E/G ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.38.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.61%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is currently 63.13%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $183.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Hershey from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Hershey from $195.00 to $170.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on Hershey from $150.00 to $134.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Citigroup lowered their target price on Hershey from $165.00 to $159.00 and set a "sell" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have assigned a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Hershey presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $171.79.

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.