Analysts Set The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) PT at $163.75

Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) have earned an average rating of “Reduce” from the twenty-two analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and seventeen have issued a hold rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $164.67.

Several research firms have recently weighed in on HSY. Citigroup raised shares of Hershey from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $159.00 to $154.00 in a report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Hershey in a report on Monday. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $183.00 price target on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on Hershey from $150.00 to $134.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Bernstein Bank lowered their target price on Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 10th.

Hershey Stock Performance

HSY stock opened at $168.30 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.07 billion, a PE ratio of 15.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $162.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $174.59. Hershey has a 12-month low of $140.13 and a 12-month high of $211.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Hershey will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th were given a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.26%. Hershey’s payout ratio is 50.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related 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 value of $41,144.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Montag & Caldwell LLC purchased a new position in Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Putney Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Vision Financial Markets LLC bought a new position in Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

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.