Wealth Effects LLC Decreases Stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Wealth Effects LLC lowered its stake in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 27.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,642 shares of the company’s stock after selling 625 shares during the period. Wealth Effects LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $278,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 248.0% in the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. raised its holdings 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 buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Hershey during the 3rd quarter valued at about $46,000. Finally, Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC acquired a new position in Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at about $48,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HSY has been the subject of a number of research reports. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $183.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Hershey from $189.00 to $163.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Citigroup decreased their price target on Hershey from $165.00 to $159.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Barclays cut 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, January 17th. Finally, Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and set a $180.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $171.79.

Hershey Stock Performance

NYSE HSY opened at $153.33 on Tuesday. The Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $147.60 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 business’s 50 day moving average is $169.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $183.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $31.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.66, a PEG ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.38.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.57%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.13%.

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.