Greenleaf Trust Reduces Stock Position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Greenleaf Trust reduced its holdings in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 21.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 10,237 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,796 shares during the quarter. Greenleaf Trust’s holdings in Hershey were worth $1,734,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of HSY. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust lifted its stake in Hershey by 248.0% in the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. boosted its holdings in Hershey by 61.7% in the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at $46,000. Finally, Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC bought a new position in Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at $48,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HSY has been the subject of several analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of Hershey from $150.00 to $134.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of Hershey from $180.00 to $170.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on shares of Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $183.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and thirteen have given a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $170.05.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:HSY opened at $149.19 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $30.19 billion, a PE ratio of 17.19, a PEG ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.38. The company’s fifty day moving average is $166.93 and its 200 day moving average is $181.95. The Hershey Company has a 52 week low of $147.60 and a 52 week high of $211.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were given a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.67%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s payout ratio is presently 63.13%.

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.