The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Sold by Natixis Advisors LLC

Natixis Advisors LLC lowered its holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 38.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 56,544 shares of the company's stock after selling 36,029 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC's holdings in Hershey were worth $9,575,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Pathstone Holdings LLC raised its stake 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 acquiring an additional 3,311 shares in the last quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc increased its holdings in Hershey by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 11,634 shares of the company's stock worth $2,232,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the period. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG acquired a new stake in Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,337,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at about $60,000. Finally, Commerce Bank grew its position in shares of Hershey by 31.9% during the third quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 9,436 shares of the company's stock worth $1,810,000 after buying an additional 2,281 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Performance

HSY stock traded up $1.12 during trading on Monday, hitting $168.30. The company had a trading volume of 1,475,311 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,752,420. The Hershey Company has a 1-year low of $140.13 and a 1-year high of $211.92. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $162.83 and a 200-day moving average price of $174.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The firm has a market cap of $34.07 billion, a PE ratio of 15.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32.

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Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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 return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. On average, analysts expect that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.26%. Hershey's payout ratio is currently 50.28%.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were 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 $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on HSY shares. Piper Sandler cut shares of Hershey from a "neutral" rating to an "underweight" rating and reduced their target price for the company from $153.00 to $120.00 in a report on Friday, January 31st. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and seventeen have given a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $164.67.

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.