The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Holdings Trimmed by HBW Advisory Services LLC

HBW Advisory Services LLC cut its holdings in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 25.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 13,789 shares of the company's stock after selling 4,684 shares during the quarter. HBW Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Hershey were worth $2,645,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Hershey by 20.6% in the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 316 shares of the company's stock worth $59,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Hershey by 55.0% during the 2nd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in Hershey by 13.3% in the first quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 486 shares of the company's stock valued at $95,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares during the period. Wesbanco Bank Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 3.7% in the 2nd quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 1,673 shares of the company's stock worth $308,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Finally, Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in Hershey by 2.3% in the second quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 2,631 shares of the company's stock worth $484,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.83, for a total value of $286,245.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 34,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,531,729.24. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.83, for a total value of $286,245.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 34,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,531,729.24. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 538 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.17, for a total transaction of $107,153.46. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 3,238 shares in the company, valued at approximately $644,912.46. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on HSY shares. Piper Sandler reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $179.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, June 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Hershey from $191.00 to $199.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Hershey from $205.00 to $195.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, June 21st. Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Hershey from a "hold" rating to an "underperform" rating and cut their price target for the stock from $184.00 to $163.00 in a report on Thursday, September 26th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on Hershey from $204.00 to $202.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Hershey currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $198.63.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:HSY traded up $0.79 during trading on Friday, hitting $191.78. 794,164 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,714,381. The company has a market cap of $38.78 billion, a PE ratio of 19.01, a P/E/G ratio of 5.67 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $196.42 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $193.88. The Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $178.82 and a 12-month high of $211.92.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.44 by ($0.17). The company had revenue of $2.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.30 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 16.76% and a return on equity of 45.36%. The firm's revenue was down 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.01 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that The Hershey Company will post 9.49 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 16th were issued a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 16th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.86%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 54.31%.

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.