HBW Advisory Services LLC Buys 2,038 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

HBW Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 14.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 16,015 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 2,038 shares during the period. HBW Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $2,739,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Elevate Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,939,000. Ethos Financial Group LLC lifted its position in Hershey by 59.8% during the fourth quarter. Ethos Financial Group LLC now owns 3,962 shares of the company’s stock valued at $671,000 after buying an additional 1,483 shares during the period. DJE Kapital AG bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 4th quarter valued at $1,040,000. Willis Investment Counsel grew its position in shares of Hershey by 46.2% in the 4th quarter. Willis Investment Counsel now owns 140,579 shares of the company’s stock worth $23,807,000 after buying an additional 44,431 shares during the period. Finally, Old North State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter worth about $513,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 974 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.11, for a total transaction of $153,025.14. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $470,387.34. The trade was a 24.55% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.34% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Hershey from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Mizuho cut their price target on Hershey from $167.00 to $155.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 28th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Hershey from $183.00 to $177.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 17th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Hershey from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, March 14th. Finally, Bernstein Bank reduced their price target on Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Hershey presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $158.84.

Hershey Stock Up 0.4%

Hershey stock opened at $161.41 on Tuesday. The Hershey Company has a one year low of $140.13 and a one year high of $208.03. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $163.81 and a 200 day moving average of $166.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.96. The stock has a market cap of $32.70 billion, a PE ratio of 14.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $2.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.81 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 19.83% and a return on equity of 44.77%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.07 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th will be given a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.40%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 67.57%.

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.