SG Americas Securities LLC Lowers Stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

SG Americas Securities LLC reduced its stake in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 96.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,579 shares of the company's stock after selling 126,167 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC's holdings in Hershey were worth $775,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 248.0% during the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. grew its stake in Hershey by 61.7% in the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company's stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the third quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Finally, Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC purchased a new stake in Hershey during the 3rd quarter valued at about $48,000. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY traded up $2.77 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $152.00. 1,645,800 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,900,789. The Hershey Company has a twelve month low of $147.60 and a twelve month high of $211.92. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $167.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $182.50. The company has a market cap of $30.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.51, a PEG ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were paid a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.61%. Hershey's payout ratio is presently 63.13%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on HSY shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Mizuho dropped their price objective on Hershey from $195.00 to $170.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 23rd. Piper Sandler dropped their price target on Hershey from $168.00 to $153.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Hershey from $180.00 to $170.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Hershey from $165.00 to $159.00 and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have given a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $171.79.

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.