The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Sold by Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY

Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY trimmed its holdings in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 7.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,825 shares of the company’s stock after selling 530 shares during the quarter. Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY’s holdings in Hershey were worth $1,156,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of HSY. Choreo LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $686,000. LPL Financial LLC lifted its stake in Hershey by 10.0% during the second quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 320,680 shares of the company’s stock worth $58,951,000 after purchasing an additional 29,246 shares in the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its position 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 buying an additional 55 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 2.1% in the second quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 34,942 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,423,000 after buying an additional 709 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 11,320 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,081,000 after buying an additional 201 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Performance

HSY stock traded down $0.90 on Monday, hitting $157.30. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,652,466 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,856,595. The stock has a market cap of $31.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.38 and a beta of 0.38. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $174.11 and a two-hundred day moving average of $185.42. 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 Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $156.10 and a 1 year high of $211.92.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.48%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is currently 63.13%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HSY has been the subject of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Hershey from $188.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 14th. Mizuho reduced their price target on Hershey from $195.00 to $170.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 23rd. Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $180.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Hershey from $160.00 to $150.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $163.00 to $161.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have given a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Hershey currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $182.21.

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.