64,948 Shares in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Bought by St. James Investment Company LLC

St. James Investment Company LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 64,948 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,999,000. Hershey accounts for approximately 1.9% of St. James Investment Company LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest position.

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

Insider Activity

In other Hershey 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 value of $41,144.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares of the company's stock, valued at $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.

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Hershey Trading Up 2.1 %

Shares of HSY stock traded up $3.46 on Thursday, hitting $167.41. The stock had a trading volume of 2,088,114 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,972,865. The company's 50 day moving average price is $164.97 and its 200-day moving average price is $173.19. The Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $140.13 and a 1 year high of $211.92. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $33.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.35, a P/E/G ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 19.83% and a return on equity of 44.77%. Analysts anticipate that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.27%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is currently 50.28%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently issued reports on HSY shares. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Hershey from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Friday, March 14th. Bernstein Bank dropped their target price on shares of Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Hershey in a research note on Monday, March 24th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $183.00 price target on the stock. 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, Mizuho dropped their price target on Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $162.50.

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.