The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Bought by Capital International Investors

Capital International Investors lifted its holdings in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 31.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,460,147 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 2,980,997 shares during the period. Capital International Investors owned approximately 0.06% of Hershey worth $2,110,126,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Montag & Caldwell LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Grove Bank & Trust increased its stake in Hershey by 248.0% during the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. Vision Financial Markets LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Hershey Trading Up 1.3 %

Hershey stock opened at $166.41 on Friday. The Hershey Company has a 12 month low of $140.13 and a 12 month high of $211.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The stock has a market cap of $33.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.27, a P/E/G ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.28. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $168.62 and its 200-day simple moving average is $170.76.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 17th were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. Hershey’s payout ratio is presently 50.28%.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on HSY shares. DA Davidson dropped their target price on Hershey from $164.00 to $149.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 10th. Piper Sandler lowered Hershey from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and cut their price objective for the company from $153.00 to $120.00 in a report on Friday, January 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $173.00 to $165.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 10th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have issued a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $163.35.

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.