ST Germain D J Co. Inc. Purchases 100 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 61.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 262 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. ST Germain D J Co. Inc.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $44,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Hershey by 55.0% in the second quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Hershey in the third quarter worth about $46,000. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC bought a new position in Hershey during the third quarter worth about $48,000. Finally, Quarry LP boosted its holdings in Hershey by 123.9% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of Hershey stock opened at $158.40 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $174.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is $185.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The company has a market capitalization of $32.05 billion, a PE ratio of 18.25, a PEG ratio of 4.38 and a beta of 0.38. The Hershey Company has a 12 month low of $156.10 and a 12 month high of $211.92.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.46%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.13%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on HSY shares. Sanford C. Bernstein cut Hershey from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $230.00 to $205.00 in a report on Monday, October 7th. Mizuho cut their price objective on Hershey from $195.00 to $170.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on shares of Hershey from $163.00 to $161.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 31st. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Hershey from $160.00 to $150.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $180.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $182.21.

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.