Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC Acquires Shares of 1,925 The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 1,925 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $369,000.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of HSY. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC boosted 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 last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. increased its position in Hershey by 55.0% in the second quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new stake in Hershey during the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Crewe Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Hershey during the 1st quarter valued at about $35,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Hershey Price Performance

NYSE:HSY opened at $170.92 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.58 billion, a PE ratio of 19.69, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $187.31 and a 200 day simple moving average of $191.79. The Hershey Company has a 1-year low of $170.58 and a 1-year high of $211.92.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th will be paid a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.21%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 63.13%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on HSY. Redburn Atlantic began coverage on shares of Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set a “sell” rating and a $165.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Hershey from $188.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 14th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on Hershey from $195.00 to $180.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 25th. UBS Group downgraded shares of Hershey from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $226.00 to $209.00 in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on Hershey from $191.00 to $199.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $189.33.

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.