HighTower Advisors LLC Lowers Stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

HighTower Advisors LLC trimmed its stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 5.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 113,747 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,412 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC owned 0.06% of Hershey worth $19,263,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Avestar Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. Avestar Capital LLC now owns 1,175 shares of the company's stock worth $225,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,151 shares of the company's stock worth $1,563,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 5,438 shares of the company's stock worth $921,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the period. Waterfront Wealth Inc. lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Waterfront Wealth Inc. now owns 5,744 shares of the company's stock worth $973,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. Finally, Advisory Alpha LLC lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. Advisory Alpha LLC now owns 2,988 shares of the company's stock worth $506,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY stock traded down $1.75 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $167.67. The company had a trading volume of 1,695,946 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,754,891. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $162.29 and a 200-day moving average price of $175.43. The Hershey Company has a one year low of $140.13 and a one year high of $211.92. The firm has a market cap of $33.94 billion, a PE ratio of 15.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.96.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a net margin of 19.83% and a return on equity of 44.77%. Sell-side analysts predict that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 17th were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.27%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.28%.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Citigroup raised shares of Hershey from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $159.00 to $154.00 in a research report on Friday, February 7th. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Hershey from $189.00 to $163.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, Bank of America reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $163.75.

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.