The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Stock Position Boosted by Daiwa Securities Group Inc.

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 11.6% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 18,127 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,877 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $3,476,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC lifted its holdings in Hershey by 218.2% in the 2nd quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 140 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 55.0% during the 2nd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Gradient Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 71.9% in the 2nd quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 251 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HSY has been the subject of a number of research reports. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of Hershey from $195.00 to $180.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th. Argus cut Hershey from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Hershey from $188.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 14th. Barclays decreased their price target on Hershey from $202.00 to $180.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, UBS Group downgraded Hershey from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $226.00 to $209.00 in a report on Monday, October 7th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Hershey presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $189.33.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HSY opened at $174.09 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.54. The Hershey Company has a one year low of $168.16 and a one year high of $211.92. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $183.01 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $190.39. The company has a market capitalization of $35.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.21 and a beta of 0.38.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th will be paid a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.15%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.13%.

Hershey Company 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.