Gulf International Bank UK Ltd Sells 125 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Gulf International Bank UK Ltd cut its position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 1.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 11,518 shares of the company’s stock after selling 125 shares during the period. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd’s holdings in Hershey were worth $1,950,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of HSY. Integrated Advisors Network LLC increased its position in shares of Hershey by 7.0% during the 3rd quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC now owns 2,372 shares of the company’s stock valued at $455,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Blueprint LLC bought a new position in Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $227,000. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC grew its position in Hershey by 23.0% during the 3rd quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,234 shares of the company’s stock worth $225,000 after acquiring an additional 231 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. grew its position in Hershey by 8.7% during the 3rd quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. now owns 4,393 shares of the company’s stock worth $842,000 after acquiring an additional 351 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pinnacle Associates Ltd. grew its position in Hershey by 31.2% during the 3rd quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 2,298 shares of the company’s stock worth $428,000 after acquiring an additional 547 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HSY has been the topic of several recent research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Piper Sandler lowered Hershey from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $153.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Barclays reduced their price target on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $178.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Five research 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, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $164.15.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In other Hershey news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $396,936. The trade was a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.34% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hershey Trading Up 0.2 %

HSY opened at $172.68 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $34.94 billion, a PE ratio of 15.84, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.37. 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 business has a 50 day moving average of $160.58 and a 200-day moving average of $177.32. The Hershey Company has a 52 week low of $140.13 and a 52 week high of $211.92.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released 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%. Equities research analysts predict that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 17th will be paid a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.17%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Hershey’s payout ratio is 50.28%.

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.