Wealth Alliance Decreases Stock Holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Wealth Alliance lowered its position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 56.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,343 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,732 shares during the period. Wealth Alliance’s holdings in Hershey were worth $227,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust raised its position 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 during the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. lifted its holdings in Hershey by 61.7% in the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $46,000. Finally, City State Bank increased its stake in shares of Hershey by 210.0% during the fourth quarter. City State Bank now owns 310 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 210 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Stock Up 4.2 %

Shares of Hershey stock opened at $173.03 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $160.47 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $178.21. The Hershey Company has a 52-week low of $140.13 and a 52-week high of $211.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $35.01 billion, a PE ratio of 15.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.37.

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 return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. On average, analysts anticipate that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total value of $41,144.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at $396,936. The trade was a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $178.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $180.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. DA Davidson decreased their price target on shares of Hershey from $164.00 to $149.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Barclays cut their price objective on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Bernstein Bank decreased their target price on Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $164.15.

Hershey 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.