The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) CAO Jennifer Mccalman Sells 278 Shares

The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total value of $41,144.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of Hershey stock opened at $144.78 on Wednesday. The Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $143.95 and a 1 year high of $211.92. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $166.37 and its 200 day moving average is $181.55. The stock has a market cap of $29.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.68, a PEG ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.54.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were paid a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.79%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is 63.13%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey during the third quarter valued at $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust lifted its stake in Hershey by 248.0% during the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the period. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 61.7% during the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the third quarter worth approximately $46,000. Finally, Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the third quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HSY has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Hershey from $189.00 to $163.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Redburn Atlantic began coverage on shares of Hershey in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set a “sell” rating and a $165.00 price target for the company. Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $180.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Hershey from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 17th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and thirteen have assigned a hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $169.79.

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.