Rhumbline Advisers Trims Stock Holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Rhumbline Advisers lessened its holdings in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 1.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 319,154 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,086 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers owned 0.16% of Hershey worth $54,049,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust grew its holdings in Hershey by 248.0% in the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its stake in shares of 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 during the last quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth $46,000. Finally, City State Bank boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 210.0% during the 4th quarter. City State Bank now owns 310 shares of the company's stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company's stock.

Hershey Stock Up 1.4 %

Hershey stock traded up $2.22 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $166.12. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,526,859 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,011,016. The company has a market cap of $33.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.24, a P/E/G ratio of 5.79 and a beta of 0.37. 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 business has a 50-day simple moving average of $161.03 and a 200-day simple moving average of $178.46. The Hershey Company has a fifty-two week low of $140.13 and a fifty-two week high of $211.92.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last announced 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%. On average, research analysts expect that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 17th will be paid a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.30%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 50.28%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on HSY. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their target price on shares of Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. TD Cowen reduced their price target on shares of Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Hershey from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Bank of America restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $180.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on Hershey from $150.00 to $134.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Hershey presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $164.15.

Insider Activity

In related 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 completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.

Hershey 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.