Hixon Zuercher LLC Acquires 149 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Hixon Zuercher LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,519 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 149 shares during the period. Hixon Zuercher LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $675,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC lifted its stake in Hershey by 218.2% in the second quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 140 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 55.0% during the second quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new stake in Hershey in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Crewe Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Hershey in the 1st quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC bought a new position in Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth about $48,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HSY has been the subject of several recent research reports. Redburn Atlantic assumed coverage on Hershey in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set a “sell” rating and a $165.00 price objective for the company. Barclays reduced their price target on Hershey from $204.00 to $202.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, September 24th. UBS Group downgraded shares of Hershey from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $226.00 to $209.00 in a report on Monday, October 7th. Citigroup downgraded shares of Hershey from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $195.00 to $182.00 in a research report on Tuesday, August 27th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Hershey in a research report on Monday, August 12th. They set a “sell” rating and a $185.00 price target on the stock. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $191.61.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of HSY opened at $180.17 on Wednesday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $190.19 and its 200-day moving average is $192.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.45 billion, a PE ratio of 20.02, a PEG ratio of 4.13 and a beta of 0.38. The Hershey Company has a fifty-two week low of $176.78 and a fifty-two week high of $211.92.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other Hershey news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 538 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $199.17, for a total transaction of $107,153.46. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 3,238 shares in the company, valued at $644,912.46. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.29% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.