Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Price Target Raised to $132.00

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its target price boosted by stock analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $125.00 to $132.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “underweight” rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price target suggests a potential downside of 22.50% from the company’s current price.

Several other brokerages have also weighed in on HSY. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased 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. Bernstein Bank cut their target price on Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, TD Cowen decreased 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. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $163.75.

Hershey Trading Down 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE:HSY opened at $170.32 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $162.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $175.86. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. Hershey has a 12-month low of $140.13 and a 12-month high of $211.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. On average, equities analysts expect that Hershey will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $396,936. The trade was a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.29% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Capital International Investors lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 31.4% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 12,460,147 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,110,126,000 after acquiring an additional 2,980,997 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in Hershey during the fourth quarter worth about $80,978,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in Hershey by 38.6% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,628,047 shares of the company’s stock valued at $275,710,000 after purchasing an additional 453,428 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 66.7% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 972,836 shares of the company’s stock worth $186,571,000 after buying an additional 389,404 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 5.8% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,029,551 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,348,127,000 after buying an additional 386,670 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

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.