2,594 Shares in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Bought by Hickory Point Bank & Trust

Hickory Point Bank & Trust bought a new position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 2,594 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $439,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HSY. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,337,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Hershey by 66.7% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 972,836 shares of the company's stock worth $186,571,000 after purchasing an additional 389,404 shares in the last quarter. Woodstock Corp boosted its stake in Hershey by 34.8% in the 4th quarter. Woodstock Corp now owns 6,896 shares of the company's stock worth $1,168,000 after purchasing an additional 1,780 shares during the period. Elevate Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,939,000. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Hershey by 61.9% during the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 120,159 shares of the company's stock valued at $23,052,000 after buying an additional 45,936 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.

Hershey Stock Up 0.3 %

Hershey stock traded up $0.61 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $176.99. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,185,712 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,814,154. The stock has a market capitalization of $35.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.24, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.37. The Hershey Company has a 52-week low of $140.13 and a 52-week 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 stock's 50-day simple moving average is $160.89 and its 200-day simple moving average is $176.75.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 17th will be issued a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.10%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Hershey's payout ratio is 50.28%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on HSY. Bank of America reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $180.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, December 12th. DA Davidson dropped their price target on Hershey from $164.00 to $149.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on shares of Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Bernstein Bank decreased their target price on shares of Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Hershey currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $164.15.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was 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 of the company's stock, valued at $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.