The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Receives $163.75 Consensus Price Target from Brokerages

Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) have been given a consensus rating of “Reduce” by the twenty-two research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and seventeen have given a hold rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $164.67.

Several research firms have commented on HSY. Bernstein Bank dropped their price objective on shares of Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. DA Davidson cut their price target on shares of Hershey from $164.00 to $149.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 10th. Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $180.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Barclays cut their target price on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Hershey from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, March 14th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HSY. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Hershey by 10.5% during the third quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,688 shares of the company’s stock valued at $707,000 after acquiring an additional 349 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 5.1% during the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 25,919 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,971,000 after purchasing an additional 1,248 shares during the last quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 23.6% in the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 92,573 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,754,000 after purchasing an additional 17,703 shares in the last quarter. MAI Capital Management grew its stake in Hershey by 11.6% during the 3rd quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 123,160 shares of the company’s stock worth $23,620,000 after buying an additional 12,832 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Hershey by 6.5% during the 3rd quarter. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,856 shares of the company’s stock valued at $739,000 after buying an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Performance

Hershey stock opened at $168.30 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. Hershey has a twelve month low of $140.13 and a twelve month high of $211.92. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $162.83 and its 200-day moving average price is $174.59. The company has a market cap of $34.07 billion, a PE ratio of 15.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Hershey will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 17th were paid a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.26%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.28%.

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.