Virtu Financial LLC Increases Stock Position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Virtu Financial LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 76.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 25,007 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 10,837 shares during the period. Virtu Financial LLC's holdings in Hershey were worth $4,235,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Grove Bank & Trust boosted its holdings in Hershey by 248.0% during the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new stake in Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its holdings in Hershey by 61.7% in the fourth quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company's stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, City State Bank increased its holdings in Hershey by 210.0% in the fourth quarter. City State Bank now owns 310 shares of the company's stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.34% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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Hershey Trading Up 1.9 %

Hershey stock traded up $3.21 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $168.44. 1,123,010 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,748,316. 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's 50-day simple moving average is $163.02 and its 200 day simple moving average is $174.34. The Hershey Company has a fifty-two week low of $140.13 and a fifty-two week high of $211.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.45, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 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, equities analysts anticipate that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 17th were paid a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is presently 50.28%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on HSY shares. Citigroup upgraded Hershey from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their target price for the company from $159.00 to $154.00 in a research report on Friday, February 7th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and issued a $178.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and seventeen have assigned a hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $164.67.

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.