Weatherly Asset Management L. P. Reduces Stock Position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Weatherly Asset Management L. P. cut its holdings in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 3.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,705 shares of the company’s stock after selling 107 shares during the quarter. Weatherly Asset Management L. P.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $458,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wealthcare Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter worth approximately $242,000. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $685,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Elevate Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,939,000. Finally, Tevis Investment Management bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $653,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of Hershey stock opened at $154.52 on Tuesday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $164.38 and its 200-day moving average is $180.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.27 billion, a PE ratio of 14.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.89 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, 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.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share 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%. Equities analysts anticipate that The Hershey Company will post 6.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 17th will be given a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.55%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Hershey’s payout ratio is 50.28%.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other Hershey news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at $396,936. The trade was a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. DA Davidson lowered their price target on Hershey from $164.00 to $149.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Barclays reduced their price objective on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Hershey from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic started 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. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Hershey has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $165.05.

Hershey Company 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.