Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Upgraded by Citigroup to Neutral Rating

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) was upgraded by investment analysts at Citigroup from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report issued on Friday,Finviz reports. The brokerage presently has a $154.00 price objective on the stock, down from their previous price objective of $159.00. Citigroup’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 1.03% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on Hershey from $180.00 to $170.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 24th. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Hershey from $180.00 to $170.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Redburn Atlantic initiated coverage on shares of Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set a “sell” rating and a $165.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $178.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Monday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $150.00 to $134.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have issued a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $166.85.

Hershey Stock Up 4.5 %

HSY opened at $152.43 on Friday. 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 cap of $30.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.56, a PEG ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.38. Hershey has a one year low of $140.13 and a one year high of $211.92. The business’s fifty day moving average is $165.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $180.97.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a net margin of 16.17% and a return on equity of 43.24%. Analysts anticipate that Hershey will post 9.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, 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 at this link. Insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust increased its position in Hershey by 248.0% in the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. lifted 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 buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Hershey during the third quarter valued at approximately $46,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.