Simplicity Wealth LLC Has $249,000 Stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Simplicity Wealth LLC decreased its position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 62.4% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 1,469 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,442 shares during the period. Simplicity Wealth LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $249,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Grove Bank & Trust raised its stake in shares of Hershey by 248.0% in the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the period. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at about $46,000. Finally, ST Germain D J Co. Inc. raised its stake in shares of Hershey by 61.7% in the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of HSY stock opened at $186.19 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $161.83 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $176.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The company has a market capitalization of $37.69 billion, a PE ratio of 17.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $140.13 and a 12-month high of $211.92.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a net margin of 19.83% and a return on equity of 44.77%. As a group, analysts predict that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 17th will be given a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.94%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.28%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on HSY. Mizuho dropped their price target on Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on Hershey from $150.00 to $134.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $178.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Piper Sandler cut Hershey from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $153.00 to $120.00 in a report on Friday, January 31st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus 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.