Adalta Capital Management LLC Sells 545 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Adalta Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 37.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 899 shares of the company’s stock after selling 545 shares during the period. Adalta Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $152,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Montag & Caldwell LLC purchased a new stake in Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC bought a new position in Hershey in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new position in Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust grew its position in shares of Hershey by 248.0% during the fourth 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. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Hershey Price Performance

NYSE:HSY opened at $155.73 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $31.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $165.76 and a 200-day moving average price of $167.46. The Hershey Company has a 1-year low of $140.13 and a 1-year high of $209.65.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.94 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $2.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.81 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.07 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th will be paid a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.52%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is currently 67.57%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Hershey from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on shares of Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on Hershey from $178.00 to $175.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on shares of Hershey from $147.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on Hershey from $150.00 to $134.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have given a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $161.40.

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.