Rodgers Brothers Inc. Purchases 8,779 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Rodgers Brothers Inc. boosted its stake in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 30.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 37,986 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 8,779 shares during the period. Rodgers Brothers Inc.'s holdings in Hershey were worth $6,433,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new position in Hershey during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Grove Bank & Trust raised its stake in Hershey by 248.0% in the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, ST Germain D J Co. Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Hershey by 61.7% during the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company's stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Hershey Price Performance

NYSE:HSY traded up $2.83 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $166.78. The stock had a trading volume of 3,017,796 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,789,038. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $164.97 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $173.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The Hershey Company has a 12 month low of $140.13 and a 12 month high of $211.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.76 billion, a PE ratio of 15.30, a P/E/G ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32.

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Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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 return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. On average, equities 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 was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 17th were issued a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hershey news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the business'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 sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $396,936. The trade was a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.34% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on HSY shares. Mizuho dropped their price target on Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Hershey in a research note on Monday, March 24th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $183.00 target price for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on shares of Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $180.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have issued a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $162.50.

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.