Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Price Target Lowered to $163.00 at UBS Group

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its target price cut by UBS Group from $189.00 to $163.00 in a research report report published on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the stock.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on HSY. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Hershey from $160.00 to $150.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $183.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Redburn Atlantic initiated coverage on shares of Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. They issued a “sell” rating and a $165.00 target price on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $163.00 to $161.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Hershey from $165.00 to $159.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have given a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $177.47.

Hershey Stock Up 1.6 %

Shares of NYSE:HSY opened at $154.13 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $31.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.76, a PEG ratio of 4.31 and a beta of 0.38. Hershey has a 12 month low of $150.31 and a 12 month high of $211.92. 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 company has a 50-day moving average price of $172.69 and a 200 day moving average price of $184.81.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were paid a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.56%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.13%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG purchased a new position in Hershey during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,337,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Hershey by 66.7% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 972,836 shares of the company’s stock valued at $186,571,000 after acquiring an additional 389,404 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 61.9% in the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 120,159 shares of the company’s stock valued at $23,052,000 after acquiring an additional 45,936 shares during the period. Pensionfund Sabic raised its position in shares of Hershey by 55.6% in the 4th quarter. Pensionfund Sabic now owns 8,400 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,423,000 after acquiring an additional 3,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clark & Stuart Inc bought a new position in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter worth $654,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

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.