The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Sold by Huntington National Bank

Huntington National Bank cut its position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 11.1% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 7,252 shares of the company’s stock after selling 909 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank’s holdings in Hershey were worth $1,228,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of HSY. State Street Corp increased its position in Hershey by 5.8% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,029,551 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,348,127,000 after purchasing an additional 386,670 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Hershey by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,635,390 shares of the company’s stock worth $785,003,000 after buying an additional 247,675 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Hershey by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,801,145 shares of the company’s stock worth $642,139,000 after acquiring an additional 47,394 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Hershey by 66.7% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 972,836 shares of the company’s stock worth $186,571,000 after acquiring an additional 389,404 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stifel Financial Corp raised its stake in shares of Hershey by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 964,748 shares of the company’s stock valued at $185,027,000 after acquiring an additional 29,507 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of Hershey stock opened at $166.78 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.30, a P/E/G ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $165.30 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $173.14. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The Hershey Company has a 1-year low of $140.13 and a 1-year high of $211.92.

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

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is 50.28%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on HSY shares. UBS Group cut their price objective on Hershey from $189.00 to $163.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Hershey in a report on Monday, March 24th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $183.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $162.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total value of $41,144.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.