O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC Reduces Stock Holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 17.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 13,235 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,818 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $2,241,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Public Sector Pension Investment Board boosted its stake in shares of Hershey by 18.3% in the third quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 6,470 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,241,000 after buying an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $385,000. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 61.9% during the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 120,159 shares of the company’s stock worth $23,052,000 after purchasing an additional 45,936 shares during the period. Investment Management Corp of Ontario lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 48.0% in the 3rd quarter. Investment Management Corp of Ontario now owns 4,931 shares of the company’s stock valued at $946,000 after purchasing an additional 1,600 shares during the period. Finally, Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC boosted its holdings in Hershey by 49.1% during the third quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 11,073 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,124,000 after buying an additional 3,647 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hershey Price Performance

Hershey stock opened at $162.12 on Friday. 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 stock has a market cap of $32.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.87, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $165.54 and a 200 day moving average price of $172.88. The Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $140.13 and a 12-month high of $211.92.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a net margin of 19.83% and a return on equity of 44.77%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th were issued a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.38%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is presently 50.28%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HSY has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Hershey in a report on Monday, March 24th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $183.00 price target for the company. Bernstein Bank dropped their price objective on Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $178.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have issued a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $162.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

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.