Virtu Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 83.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 14,170 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 6,433 shares during the period. Virtu Financial LLC's holdings in Hershey were worth $2,717,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the third quarter worth $25,000. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC lifted its position 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 buying an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the second quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Gradient Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Hershey by 71.9% in the second quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 251 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company's stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of research firms have commented on HSY. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Hershey from $195.00 to $180.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on Hershey from $163.00 to $161.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Bank of America reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday. UBS Group lowered Hershey from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $226.00 to $209.00 in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Finally, Citigroup downgraded Hershey from a "neutral" rating to a "sell" rating and cut their target price for the company from $195.00 to $182.00 in a research note on Tuesday, August 27th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and thirteen have assigned a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Hershey presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $185.17.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Hershey
Hershey Price Performance
HSY traded up $5.63 during trading on Thursday, hitting $182.63. 1,723,067 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,811,696. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The company has a market cap of $36.96 billion, a PE ratio of 20.71, a P/E/G ratio of 4.18 and a beta of 0.37. The Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $168.16 and a 1 year high of $211.92. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $180.25 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $188.54.
Hershey Dividend Announcement
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th will be given a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.00%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is currently 63.13%.
Hershey Profile
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Free Report)
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.
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