The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Sold by Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC cut its holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 42.6% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 1,297 shares of the company’s stock after selling 963 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $220,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Callan Family Office LLC acquired a new position in Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at $529,000. Candriam S.C.A. boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 18.6% in the fourth quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 13,997 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,370,000 after acquiring an additional 2,194 shares in the last quarter. Ethos Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 59.8% in the fourth quarter. Ethos Financial Group LLC now owns 3,962 shares of the company’s stock valued at $671,000 after acquiring an additional 1,483 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at about $80,978,000. Finally, Dana Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 5.2% in the fourth quarter. Dana Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 17,540 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,970,000 after acquiring an additional 860 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Stock Down 3.7 %

Shares of NYSE HSY opened at $179.55 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $162.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $176.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The company has a market capitalization of $36.34 billion, a PE ratio of 16.47, 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 posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a net margin of 19.83% and a return on equity of 44.77%. Equities analysts anticipate that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th will be given a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.05%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is presently 50.28%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on HSY shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. DA Davidson lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $164.00 to $149.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 10th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 10th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $150.00 to $134.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Bernstein Bank decreased their price objective on shares of Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have issued a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $164.15.

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.