Stevens Capital Management LP Invests $449,000 in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Stevens Capital Management LP bought a new position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 2,654 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $449,000.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Pathstone Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 15.8% in the third quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 24,222 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,645,000 after purchasing an additional 3,311 shares in the last quarter. Commerce Bank increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 31.9% in the 3rd quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 9,436 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,810,000 after purchasing an additional 2,281 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 73.6% in the third quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 11,257 shares of the company's stock worth $2,159,000 after purchasing an additional 4,772 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 31.3% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 586,565 shares of the company's stock worth $112,491,000 after purchasing an additional 139,831 shares during the period. Finally, Meridian Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter valued at $334,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other Hershey news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Bank of America reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $180.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Hershey in a report on Monday. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $183.00 price target for the company. Bernstein Bank lowered their price target on Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Hershey from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Friday, March 14th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Hershey has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $162.50.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY traded up $0.63 on Thursday, reaching $169.15. 244,444 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,007,002. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $163.35 and its 200-day moving average price is $174.30. 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 cap of $34.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.51, a P/E/G ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The Hershey Company has a 12 month low of $140.13 and a 12 month high of $211.92.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. Equities analysts forecast that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 17th were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.24%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.28%.

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.