The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Stake Lessened by Aurora Investment Counsel

Aurora Investment Counsel lessened its stake in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 1.7% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 9,577 shares of the company’s stock after selling 165 shares during the quarter. Aurora Investment Counsel’s holdings in Hershey were worth $1,761,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC increased its position in shares of Hershey by 218.2% during the 2nd quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 140 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its position in Hershey by 55.0% in the second quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in Hershey in the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Hershey during the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on HSY. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Hershey from a “hold” rating to an “underperform” rating and cut their target price for the company from $184.00 to $163.00 in a research note on Thursday, September 26th. Argus downgraded Hershey from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. Barclays decreased their target price on Hershey from $204.00 to $202.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. Citigroup lowered Hershey from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $195.00 to $182.00 in a research report on Tuesday, August 27th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Hershey in a research note on Monday, August 12th. They issued a “sell” rating and a $185.00 price target on the stock. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $198.63.

Hershey Trading Down 0.8 %

NYSE HSY opened at $191.75 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The Hershey Company has a 1-year low of $178.82 and a 1-year high of $211.92. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $196.43 and its 200-day simple moving average is $193.95. The company has a market capitalization of $38.78 billion, a PE ratio of 19.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.67 and a beta of 0.37.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $1.27 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.44 by ($0.17). The firm had revenue of $2.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.30 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 45.36% and a net margin of 16.76%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.01 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Hershey Company will post 9.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 16th were given a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 16th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is 54.31%.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.83, for a total value of $286,245.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 34,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,531,729.24. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 538 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $199.17, for a total value of $107,153.46. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 3,238 shares in the company, valued at approximately $644,912.46. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.83, for a total value of $286,245.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 34,228 shares in the company, valued at $6,531,729.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.