Moran Wealth Management LLC Has $14.42 Million Stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Moran Wealth Management LLC lowered its position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 3.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 85,121 shares of the company's stock after selling 3,343 shares during the quarter. Moran Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Hershey were worth $14,415,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,337,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in Hershey by 66.7% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 972,836 shares of the company's stock worth $186,571,000 after acquiring an additional 389,404 shares in the last quarter. Woodstock Corp lifted its position in Hershey by 34.8% during the 4th quarter. Woodstock Corp now owns 6,896 shares of the company's stock worth $1,168,000 after acquiring an additional 1,780 shares in the last quarter. Elevate Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Hershey during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,939,000. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its position in Hershey by 61.9% during the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 120,159 shares of the company's stock worth $23,052,000 after acquiring an additional 45,936 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.

Hershey Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE HSY traded up $1.13 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $186.19. 2,902,509 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,811,576. The business has a 50 day moving average of $161.83 and a two-hundred day moving average of $176.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $37.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.08, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $140.13 and a 1 year high of $211.92.

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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 anticipate that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 17th will be given a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.94%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Hershey's payout ratio is currently 50.28%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HSY has been the topic of several recent research reports. Mizuho reduced their price target on Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. TD Cowen cut their target price on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and issued a $178.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, DA Davidson cut their target price on Hershey from $164.00 to $149.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have issued a hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $164.15.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.

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.