Dillon & Associates Inc. Decreases Stock Holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Dillon & Associates Inc. lessened its holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 3.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,833 shares of the company’s stock after selling 153 shares during the quarter. Dillon & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $736,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. increased its position in 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 during the period. Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY boosted its stake in shares of Hershey by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY now owns 7,355 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,411,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. increased its position in shares of Hershey by 3.7% during the second quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 1,673 shares of the company’s stock valued at $308,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the period. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in Hershey by 2.3% in the second quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 2,631 shares of the company’s stock worth $484,000 after buying an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Valley Brook Capital Group Inc. boosted its position in Hershey by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Valley Brook Capital Group Inc. now owns 4,067 shares of the company’s stock valued at $748,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Price Performance

NYSE HSY opened at $181.50 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.85. The company has a market capitalization of $36.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.91, a PEG ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.38. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $188.88 and a 200 day moving average of $192.13. The Hershey Company has a one year low of $171.67 and a one year high of $211.92.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th will be given 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 3.02%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.13%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HSY has been the subject of several research reports. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on Hershey from $195.00 to $180.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on Hershey from $200.00 to $195.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday, August 12th. They set a “sell” rating and a $185.00 target price on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered shares of Hershey from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $230.00 to $205.00 in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Hershey from $191.00 to $199.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have issued a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Hershey currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $189.33.

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.