Philadelphia Trust Co. Decreases Holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Philadelphia Trust Co. lessened its stake in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 4.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 5,709 shares of the company’s stock after selling 266 shares during the period. Philadelphia Trust Co.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $967,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in HSY. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Grove Bank & Trust raised its stake in shares of Hershey by 248.0% in the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new position in shares of Hershey during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in Hershey by 42.5% in the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 238 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY opened at $165.56 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $33.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.19, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.28. The Hershey Company has a 52 week low of $140.13 and a 52 week high of $211.92. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $167.39 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $171.29. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. On average, analysts expect that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.31%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is currently 50.28%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the business’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 transaction of $41,144.00. Following the transaction, 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 document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on HSY. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on shares of Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Hershey in a research report on Monday, March 24th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $183.00 target price on the stock. Bernstein Bank reduced their price target 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. Citigroup raised Hershey from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $159.00 to $154.00 in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $162.50.

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.