The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Acquired by Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V.

Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. increased its position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 1.7% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 58,469 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares during the period. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $9,902,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of HSY. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust raised its position in shares of Hershey by 248.0% in the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. raised its position in shares of Hershey by 61.7% in the fourth quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the third quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Finally, City State Bank increased its position in Hershey by 210.0% during the fourth quarter. City State Bank now owns 310 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Stock Performance

NYSE:HSY opened at $172.68 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $160.58 and a two-hundred day moving average of $177.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The stock has a market cap of $34.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.84, a PEG ratio of 5.90 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 released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. On average, research analysts expect that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share 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 paid a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.17%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total value of $41,144.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $396,936. The trade was a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently commented on HSY. Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 7th. DA Davidson dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $164.00 to $149.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $178.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have issued a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $164.15.

Hershey 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.