National Bank of Canada FI Has $19.72 Million Holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

National Bank of Canada FI increased its position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 39.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 102,800 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 29,213 shares during the quarter. National Bank of Canada FI owned approximately 0.05% of Hershey worth $19,715,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC increased its stake in shares of Hershey by 218.2% in the 2nd quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 140 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Hershey by 55.0% during the second quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the second quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Gradient Investments LLC boosted its holdings in Hershey by 71.9% in the second quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 251 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Mizuho dropped their price objective on Hershey from $200.00 to $180.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday. Citigroup downgraded Hershey from a "neutral" rating to a "sell" rating and cut their price target for the company from $195.00 to $182.00 in a research note on Tuesday, August 27th. Argus lowered Hershey from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Hershey in a report on Monday, August 12th. They issued a "sell" rating and a $185.00 price objective for the company. Finally, UBS Group cut Hershey from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $226.00 to $209.00 in a report on Monday, October 7th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have given a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $187.94.

Hershey Stock Down 3.4 %

Hershey stock traded down $6.49 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $187.16. The company's stock had a trading volume of 5,011,807 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,793,788. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.85. The Hershey Company has a 12 month low of $168.16 and a 12 month high of $211.92. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $180.67 and its 200 day simple moving average is $188.69. The company has a market capitalization of $37.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.18 and a beta of 0.37.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th will be issued a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.93%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. Hershey's payout ratio is 63.13%.

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.