D.A. Davidson & CO. Has $2.92 Million Position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

D.A. Davidson & CO. reduced its holdings in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 26.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 17,267 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,158 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $2,924,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG acquired a new stake in Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,337,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 66.7% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 972,836 shares of the company’s stock valued at $186,571,000 after buying an additional 389,404 shares during the period. Woodstock Corp grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 34.8% in the 4th quarter. Woodstock Corp now owns 6,896 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,168,000 after buying an additional 1,780 shares during the period. Elevate Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,939,000. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 61.9% in the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 120,159 shares of the company’s stock valued at $23,052,000 after buying an additional 45,936 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hershey Price Performance

Hershey stock opened at $173.03 on Friday. The Hershey Company has a 52 week low of $140.13 and a 52 week high of $211.92. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $160.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $178.37. 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 stock has a market cap of $35.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.87, a P/E/G ratio of 5.82 and a beta of 0.37.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 EPS 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%. On average, equities analysts predict that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.17%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related 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 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 document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently commented on HSY shares. Mizuho reduced their target price on Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $178.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Piper Sandler downgraded Hershey from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $153.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Hershey presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average 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.