Hershey (HSY) Projected to Post Quarterly Earnings on Thursday

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) is expected to announce its earnings results before the market opens on Thursday, February 6th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $2.40 per share and revenue of $2.85 billion for the quarter. Investors that wish to listen to the company’s earnings conference call can do so using this link.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HSY opened at $144.78 on Wednesday. Hershey has a one year low of $143.95 and a one year high of $211.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.54. The firm has a market cap of $29.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.68, a P/E/G ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.38. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $166.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $181.55.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were paid a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.79%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.13%.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the business’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 sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at $396,936. The trade was a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have issued reports on HSY shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. TD Cowen cut their price target on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Barclays dropped their price objective on Hershey from $180.00 to $170.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 17th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $178.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price target on Hershey from $189.00 to $163.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and thirteen have issued a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $169.79.

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.