Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC Has $793,000 Holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 12.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 4,681 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 505 shares during the period. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $793,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of HSY. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its holdings in Hershey by 61.7% in the fourth quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Hershey in the third quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC acquired a new position in Hershey in the third quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Finally, City State Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 210.0% during the 4th quarter. City State Bank now owns 310 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Trading Down 0.8 %

Shares of Hershey stock opened at $152.82 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $171.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $184.39. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $150.31 and a 12-month high of $211.92. The company has a market cap of $30.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.61, a PEG ratio of 4.31 and a beta of 0.38.

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 $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.59%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is currently 63.13%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HSY has been the subject of a number of research reports. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Hershey from $165.00 to $159.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on Hershey from $180.00 to $170.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have given a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $176.42.

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.