The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Position Trimmed by TIAA Trust National Association

TIAA Trust National Association lowered its stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 4.4% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 7,119 shares of the company’s stock after selling 329 shares during the period. TIAA Trust National Association’s holdings in Hershey were worth $1,206,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Avestar Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Hershey by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. Avestar Capital LLC now owns 1,175 shares of the company’s stock worth $225,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A now owns 3,240 shares of the company’s stock valued at $549,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA increased its stake in Hershey by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 5,438 shares of the company’s stock worth $921,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Waterfront Wealth Inc. raised its holdings in Hershey by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Waterfront Wealth Inc. now owns 5,744 shares of the company’s stock worth $973,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. Finally, Lowe Brockenbrough & Co. Inc. raised its holdings in Hershey by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Lowe Brockenbrough & Co. Inc. now owns 3,987 shares of the company’s stock worth $675,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Trading Up 1.3 %

NYSE:HSY opened at $170.79 on Friday. 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 company’s 50 day moving average is $163.69 and its 200-day moving average is $174.28. The firm has a market cap of $34.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.67, a P/E/G ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The Hershey Company has a 12 month low of $140.13 and a 12 month high of $211.92.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a net margin of 19.83% and a return on equity of 44.77%. Equities analysts anticipate that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup upgraded shares of Hershey from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price target for the company from $159.00 to $154.00 in a report on Friday, February 7th. Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $180.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. DA Davidson dropped 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. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their price objective on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have assigned a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $162.50.

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.