Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd Raises Position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd lifted its position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 86.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,233 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,352 shares during the quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd’s holdings in Hershey were worth $1,387,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC lifted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 55.0% during the 2nd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Gradient Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 71.9% in the 2nd quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 251 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HSY has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup downgraded shares of Hershey from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $195.00 to $182.00 in a report on Tuesday, August 27th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut Hershey from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $230.00 to $205.00 in a report on Monday, October 7th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on Hershey from $163.00 to $161.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Hershey in a research report on Monday, August 12th. They set a “sell” rating and a $185.00 target price on the stock. Finally, UBS Group cut Hershey from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price target for the company from $226.00 to $209.00 in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Hershey has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $189.33.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY opened at $173.29 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $35.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.96, a PEG ratio of 4.19 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.85. The Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $168.16 and a 1 year high of $211.92. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $183.48 and its 200 day simple moving average is $190.51.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th will be issued a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.16%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 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.