Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Price Target Lowered to $170.00 at Mizuho

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its target price cut by Mizuho from $195.00 to $170.00 in a report issued on Monday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the stock.

HSY has been the subject of a number of other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Hershey from $188.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 14th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Hershey from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $175.00 to $160.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on shares of Hershey from $195.00 to $180.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $183.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of Hershey from $191.00 to $199.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and thirteen have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $184.61.

Hershey Price Performance

NYSE:HSY opened at $169.00 on Monday. Hershey has a 52-week low of $166.69 and a 52-week high of $211.92. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $178.57 and a 200 day moving average of $187.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.47, a P/E/G ratio of 4.24 and a beta of 0.37.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced 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 3.24%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s payout ratio is 63.13%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its position in Hershey by 55.0% during the 2nd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Hershey in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $46,000. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $48,000. Finally, nVerses Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the second quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

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.