Independent Advisor Alliance Buys 1,135 Shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY)

Independent Advisor Alliance boosted its stake in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 3.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 30,652 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,135 shares during the quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance’s holdings in Hershey were worth $5,242,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. First American Trust FSB raised its position in shares of Hershey by 4.8% in the first quarter. First American Trust FSB now owns 2,903 shares of the company’s stock valued at $496,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares during the period. Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in Hershey in the 1st quarter valued at $55,269,000. Harvest Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Hershey by 39.7% in the 1st quarter. Harvest Investment Advisors LLC now owns 10,859 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,857,000 after acquiring an additional 3,087 shares during the period. Covington Investment Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Hershey by 18.4% in the 1st quarter. Covington Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 32,737 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,599,000 after acquiring an additional 5,086 shares during the period. Finally, Fiduciary Family Office LLC acquired a new position in Hershey during the 1st quarter worth $279,000. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of Hershey stock opened at $184.21 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 1.53. Hershey Company has a 52 week low of $140.13 and a 52 week high of $208.03. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $173.53 and a two-hundred day moving average of $167.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $37.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.46, a PEG ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.27.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.21 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.23. Hershey had a return on equity of 37.36% and a net margin of 13.54%. The company had revenue of $2.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.50 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.27 EPS. Hershey’s revenue was up 26.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be issued a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Hershey’s payout ratio is 72.78%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on HSY shares. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Hershey from $173.00 to $189.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Hershey from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 29th. Mizuho lifted their price target on Hershey from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Barclays upped their price target on Hershey from $165.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, August 1st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Hershey from $178.00 to $175.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have issued a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $169.68.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 974 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief accounting officer owned 2,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $470,387.34. This trade represents a 24.55% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total value of $900,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 61,319 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,037,420. The trade was a 7.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 118,311 shares of company stock worth $20,931,348 over the last 90 days. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.