Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC Sells 1,523 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC decreased its position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 14.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,333 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,523 shares during the quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $1,581,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of HSY. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey during the third quarter valued at $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust increased its holdings in Hershey by 248.0% in the 4th 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. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its holdings in Hershey by 61.7% in the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Hershey in the 3rd quarter worth about $46,000. Finally, City State Bank increased its holdings in Hershey by 210.0% in the 4th quarter. City State Bank now owns 310 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Up 4.2 %

NYSE HSY opened at $173.03 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $160.47 and its 200 day moving average is $178.21. 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 Hershey Company has a 12 month low of $140.13 and a 12 month high of $211.92. The stock has a market cap of $35.01 billion, a PE ratio of 15.87, a P/E/G ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.37.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. Research analysts predict that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 17th will be issued a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.17%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is presently 50.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on HSY shares. Barclays reduced their price objective on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 10th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on Hershey from $189.00 to $163.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Mizuho dropped their target price on Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $180.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Hershey has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $164.15.

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.