Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC Has $930,000 Holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 55.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 5,492 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,952 shares during the quarter. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $930,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in HSY. Salomon & Ludwin LLC lifted its stake in Hershey by 23.3% in the third quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 333 shares of the company’s stock valued at $64,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Forum Financial Management LP raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 4,130 shares of the company’s stock valued at $792,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Avestar Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. Avestar Capital LLC now owns 1,175 shares of the company’s stock valued at $225,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Wedmont Private Capital boosted its holdings in Hershey by 5.7% in the third quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 1,372 shares of the company’s stock worth $257,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Wealth Management increased its position in Hershey by 1.3% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Wealth Management now owns 6,007 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,152,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on HSY. Mizuho reduced their price target on Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $178.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday, February 3rd. TD Cowen lowered their price target on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $189.00 to $163.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $166.35.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:HSY opened at $154.98 on Monday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $164.38 and its 200-day moving average is $180.46. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.36 billion, a PE ratio of 14.22, a PEG ratio of 4.89 and a beta of 0.37. The Hershey Company has a 1-year low of $140.13 and a 1-year high of $211.92.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 predict that The Hershey Company will post 6.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

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 given a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.28%.

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.