The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Position Raised by Intech Investment Management LLC

Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 135.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 26,530 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 15,273 shares during the quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC's holdings in Hershey were worth $4,493,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HSY. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,509,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Hershey by 10.5% during the fourth quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 31,022 shares of the company's stock worth $5,254,000 after purchasing an additional 2,937 shares during the last quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Hershey by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 17,003 shares of the company's stock worth $2,879,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter worth $82,000. Finally, Cibc World Markets Corp boosted its holdings in Hershey by 15.2% in the fourth quarter. Cibc World Markets Corp now owns 57,970 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,817,000 after acquiring an additional 7,654 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hershey Stock Up 1.8 %

NYSE HSY traded up $2.91 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $167.38. 3,046,959 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,753,532. The Hershey Company has a 12 month low of $140.13 and a 12 month high of $211.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.88 billion, a PE ratio of 15.36, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a 50 day moving average of $162.61 and a two-hundred day moving average of $174.96.

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

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 17th were paid a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.27%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total value of $41,144.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HSY has been the topic of a number of research reports. Piper Sandler downgraded Hershey from a "neutral" rating to an "underweight" rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $153.00 to $120.00 in a report on Friday, January 31st. Royal Bank of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $178.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on shares of Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target 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 analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have issued a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Hershey currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $163.75.

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.