The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Given Consensus Rating of "Reduce" by Analysts

Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus recommendation of "Reduce" from the nineteen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and fourteen have given a hold recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $189.33.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on HSY. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Hershey from $205.00 to $183.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 8th. Citigroup lowered Hershey from a "neutral" rating to a "sell" rating and dropped their target price for the company from $195.00 to $182.00 in a report on Tuesday, August 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Hershey from $188.00 to $180.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 14th. UBS Group cut Hershey from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $226.00 to $209.00 in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on Hershey from $191.00 to $199.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th.

Hershey Stock Up 1.6 %

NYSE:HSY traded up $2.95 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $184.45. The company had a trading volume of 2,177,474 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,695,008. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $188.56 and its 200-day simple moving average is $192.10. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. Hershey has a 12-month low of $171.67 and a 12-month high of $211.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.91, a PEG ratio of 4.35 and a beta of 0.38.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th will be given a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.97%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.13%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in Hershey during the third quarter worth $25,000. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 218.2% in the second quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 140 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Hershey by 55.0% during the second quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in Hershey in the second quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Crewe Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.

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.