The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Given Consensus Rating of “Reduce” by Brokerages

Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) have earned a consensus rating of “Reduce” from the twenty-one analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have assigned a hold rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $163.75.

HSY has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Piper Sandler lowered shares of Hershey from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $153.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Friday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Citigroup raised Hershey from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $159.00 to $154.00 in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 23rd.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $396,936. The trade was a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.34% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of HSY. Montag & Caldwell LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Putney Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Hershey in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Hershey in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust raised its position in Hershey by 248.0% in the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY stock opened at $170.51 on Tuesday. Hershey has a 52-week low of $140.13 and a 52-week high of $211.92. 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 stock has a market cap of $34.51 billion, a PE ratio of 15.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $162.22 and a 200-day simple moving average of $175.60.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th were paid a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.21%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is currently 50.28%.

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.