Kennon Green & Company LLC Buys 5,585 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Kennon Green & Company LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 20.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 32,362 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,585 shares during the quarter. Hershey accounts for about 4.7% of Kennon Green & Company LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest position. Kennon Green & Company LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $5,481,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of HSY. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust boosted its stake in Hershey by 248.0% during the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Hershey by 61.7% during the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth $46,000. Finally, City State Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 210.0% in the fourth quarter. City State Bank now owns 310 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Performance

NYSE:HSY opened at $173.03 on Friday. 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 firm has a 50 day moving average of $160.67 and a 200-day moving average of $178.37. The Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $140.13 and a 1 year high of $211.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $35.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.82 and a beta of 0.37.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 17th will be given a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hershey news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the completion of the sale, 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on HSY shares. DA Davidson lowered their price target on Hershey from $164.00 to $149.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 10th. UBS Group lowered their price target on Hershey from $189.00 to $163.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Citigroup raised Hershey from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $159.00 to $154.00 in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $178.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price target on Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have issued a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $164.15.

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.