Jump Financial LLC Sells 11,419 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Jump Financial LLC reduced its position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 84.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,047 shares of the company's stock after selling 11,419 shares during the quarter. Jump Financial LLC's holdings in Hershey were worth $347,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Hershey during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Grove Bank & Trust increased its holdings in Hershey by 248.0% during the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Vision Financial Markets LLC bought a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in Hershey by 42.5% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 238 shares of the company's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of NYSE HSY traded up $0.02 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $163.30. 1,298,033 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,781,261. The Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $140.13 and a 12-month high of $211.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The company has a market cap of $33.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.98, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.28. The business's fifty day moving average price is $169.36 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $169.32.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 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%. As a group, research analysts forecast that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 17th were paid a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.36%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is presently 50.28%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HSY has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Bernstein Bank decreased their price objective on Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Hershey from $159.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Hershey from $183.00 to $177.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Hershey from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Friday, March 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on Hershey from $150.00 to $134.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have issued a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $163.35.

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.