The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Bought by Kerusso Capital Management LLC

Kerusso Capital Management LLC grew its position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 116.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 15,919 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 8,554 shares during the period. Hershey comprises approximately 1.7% of Kerusso Capital Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest position. Kerusso Capital Management LLC's holdings in Hershey were worth $2,696,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of HSY. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Hershey by 28.9% during the third quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 2,344 shares of the company's stock worth $450,000 after purchasing an additional 525 shares in the last quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. increased its stake in shares of Hershey by 33.2% during the third quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 33,471 shares of the company's stock worth $6,419,000 after purchasing an additional 8,338 shares in the last quarter. Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey during the third quarter worth about $206,000. Stratos Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Hershey by 19.5% during the third quarter. Stratos Investment Management LLC now owns 2,535 shares of the company's stock worth $486,000 after purchasing an additional 413 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in shares of Hershey by 31.4% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,068 shares of the company's stock worth $196,000 after purchasing an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Hershey news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hershey Stock Up 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE:HSY traded up $2.22 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $166.12. The stock had a trading volume of 1,526,859 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,011,016. The Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $140.13 and a 1 year high of $211.92. The firm's 50 day moving average is $161.03 and its 200-day moving average is $178.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.24, a P/E/G ratio of 5.79 and a beta of 0.37.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, beating 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%. Research analysts predict that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 17th will be given a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.30%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.28%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HSY has been the subject of a number of research reports. Bernstein Bank cut their target price on shares of Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Bank of America reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $180.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on shares of Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research note 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's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $164.15.

Hershey 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.