Hendley & Co. Inc. Sells 11,733 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Hendley & Co. Inc. cut its stake in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 26.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 32,376 shares of the company’s stock after selling 11,733 shares during the period. Hershey accounts for about 1.9% of Hendley & Co. Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Hendley & Co. Inc.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $5,483,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust grew its holdings in Hershey by 248.0% during the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the period. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its position in Hershey by 61.7% during the fourth quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Hershey in the third quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Finally, City State Bank lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 210.0% in the fourth quarter. City State Bank now owns 310 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Up 3.0 %

HSY stock opened at $178.12 on Tuesday. The Hershey Company has a 52 week low of $140.13 and a 52 week high of $211.92. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $160.47 and a 200 day simple moving average of $177.74. 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 cap of $36.04 billion, a PE ratio of 16.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.37.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, beating 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%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 17th will be paid a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.08%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Hershey’s payout ratio is presently 50.28%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Bernstein Bank decreased their target price on Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Hershey from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on shares of Hershey from $150.00 to $134.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Mizuho cut their price objective on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have assigned a hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $164.15.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction 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 $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

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.