The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Acquired by BTS Asset Management Inc.

BTS Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 71.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,833 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 763 shares during the quarter. Hershey comprises approximately 0.3% of BTS Asset Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding. BTS Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $310,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in HSY. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the third quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the third quarter worth about $48,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 61.7% in the fourth quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP increased its stake in Hershey by 123.9% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 166 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Trading Down 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE:HSY opened at $152.82 on Friday. The Hershey Company has a 1-year low of $150.31 and a 1-year high of $211.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $30.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.61, a PEG ratio of 4.31 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 company has a 50 day moving average price of $171.86 and a 200 day moving average price of $184.39.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.59%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s payout ratio is presently 63.13%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on HSY. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $195.00 to $180.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Mizuho reduced their target price on Hershey from $195.00 to $170.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 23rd. Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on shares of Hershey from $168.00 to $153.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $176.42.

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.