Aviva PLC Increases Holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Aviva PLC increased its stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 1,485.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 88,976 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 83,363 shares during the period. Aviva PLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $15,068,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp now owns 4,500 shares of the company’s stock worth $762,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the period. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A lifted its position in Hershey by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A now owns 3,240 shares of the company’s stock worth $549,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. boosted its stake in Hershey by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 5,546 shares of the company’s stock worth $939,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA increased its position in Hershey by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 5,438 shares of the company’s stock valued at $921,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Waterfront Wealth Inc. raised its stake in shares of Hershey by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Waterfront Wealth Inc. now owns 5,744 shares of the company’s stock valued at $973,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Trading Up 0.3 %

HSY opened at $162.80 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The firm has a market cap of $32.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.94, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.28. The Hershey Company has a 12 month low of $140.13 and a 12 month high of $211.92. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $165.73 and a 200-day moving average price of $172.29.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, topping 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, equities research analysts anticipate that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.37%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. Hershey’s payout ratio is presently 50.28%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently commented on HSY shares. Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $189.00 to $163.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Hershey currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $162.50.

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.