Proficio Capital Partners LLC Makes New Investment in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 107,902 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,273,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC owned about 0.05% of Hershey as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Hershey by 5.8% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,029,551 shares of the company's stock worth $1,348,127,000 after purchasing an additional 386,670 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Hershey by 2.6% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,387,715 shares of the company's stock worth $841,476,000 after acquiring an additional 109,336 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Hershey by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,753,751 shares of the company's stock valued at $717,606,000 after acquiring an additional 35,688 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Hershey by 66.7% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 972,836 shares of the company's stock valued at $186,571,000 after acquiring an additional 389,404 shares during the period. Finally, Stifel Financial Corp increased its stake in shares of Hershey by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 964,748 shares of the company's stock worth $185,027,000 after purchasing an additional 29,507 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of Hershey stock traded up $4.64 during trading on Monday, reaching $177.35. 749,475 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,813,455. 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 Hershey Company has a 1-year low of $140.13 and a 1-year high of $211.92. The company has a market cap of $35.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.25, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.37. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $160.58 and its 200 day moving average price is $177.00.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th will be issued a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.09%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.28%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total value of $41,144.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares of the company's stock, valued at $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.34% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. DA Davidson reduced their price target on Hershey from $164.00 to $149.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 10th. 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 research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Citigroup upgraded Hershey from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their price target for the company from $159.00 to $154.00 in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Bank of America reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $180.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, 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. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have assigned a hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $164.15.

About Hershey

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.