Brokerages Set The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Target Price at $162.50

The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) has earned an average rating of “Reduce” from the twenty-one brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have assigned a hold rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $162.50.

Several research firms have weighed in on HSY. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Hershey in a research note on Monday, March 24th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $183.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their target price on Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th.

Hershey Stock Up 2.8 %

Shares of NYSE HSY opened at $170.25 on Friday. 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 firm has a 50-day moving average price of $167.88 and a 200 day moving average price of $171.00. Hershey has a 52 week low of $140.13 and a 52 week high of $211.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.28.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Hershey will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th were issued a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.22%. Hershey’s payout ratio is 50.28%.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the 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 sale, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of HSY. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in Hershey by 49.1% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,993 shares of the company’s stock valued at $958,000 after purchasing an additional 1,645 shares in the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 11.4% in the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,466 shares of the company’s stock worth $470,000 after buying an additional 252 shares during the period. Toronto Dominion Bank grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 5.2% in the third quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 81,506 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,631,000 after buying an additional 4,008 shares in the last quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 25.8% during the 3rd quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 1,238 shares of the company’s stock valued at $238,000 after buying an additional 254 shares during the period. Finally, Arete Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Hershey by 93.6% during the 3rd quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,588 shares of the company’s stock worth $688,000 after acquiring an additional 1,735 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.