RFG Bristol Wealth Advisors LLC Invests $208,000 in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

RFG Bristol Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 1,226 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $208,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Hershey during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Grove Bank & Trust boosted its holdings in Hershey by 248.0% during the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new position in Hershey in the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new position in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, ST Germain D J Co. Inc. lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 61.7% during the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hershey Trading Down 3.4 %

Shares of HSY opened at $163.90 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $164.97 and its 200 day moving average price is $173.19. 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 Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $140.13 and a 12-month high of $211.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.04, a P/E/G ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. As a group, research analysts predict that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th were issued a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.34%. Hershey’s payout ratio is presently 50.28%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Bernstein Bank cut their price objective on Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $180.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $178.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $162.50.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.34% of the stock is 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.