Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Now Covered by Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Hershey (NYSE:HSY) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm set an “equal weight” rating and a $183.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley’s price target indicates a potential upside of 10.85% from the company’s previous close.

Several other research firms have also commented on HSY. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Citigroup upgraded shares of Hershey from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $159.00 to $154.00 in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $180.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price 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. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and seventeen have given a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $164.67.

Hershey Trading Down 1.7 %

Shares of Hershey stock opened at $165.09 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $163.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $174.34. The stock has a market cap of $33.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.15, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. Hershey has a 12-month low of $140.13 and a 12-month high of $211.92.

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 the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a net margin of 19.83% and a return on equity of 44.77%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Hershey will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the company’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 value of $41,144.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Hershey

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of HSY. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Hershey by 66.7% during 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 during the last quarter. Woodstock Corp increased its holdings in Hershey by 34.8% during the 4th quarter. Woodstock Corp now owns 6,896 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,168,000 after acquiring an additional 1,780 shares in the last quarter. Elevate Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Hershey during the fourth quarter worth about $1,939,000. Ethos Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 59.8% in the fourth quarter. Ethos Financial Group LLC now owns 3,962 shares of the company’s stock valued at $671,000 after purchasing an additional 1,483 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Hershey by 61.9% in the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 120,159 shares of the company’s stock valued at $23,052,000 after purchasing an additional 45,936 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.