Andra AP fonden Makes New $864,000 Investment in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Andra AP fonden acquired a new position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 5,100 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $864,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Callan Family Office LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at $529,000. Candriam S.C.A. lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 18.6% during the fourth quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 13,997 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,370,000 after acquiring an additional 2,194 shares during the period. Ethos Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 59.8% during the fourth quarter. Ethos Financial Group LLC now owns 3,962 shares of the company’s stock valued at $671,000 after acquiring an additional 1,483 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at $80,978,000. Finally, Dana Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Dana Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 17,540 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,970,000 after acquiring an additional 860 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction 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 corporate insiders.

Hershey Stock Up 2.8 %

NYSE:HSY opened at $185.11 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.96. The company has a market cap of $37.47 billion, a PE ratio of 16.98, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The Hershey Company has a 52-week low of $140.13 and a 52-week high of $211.92. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $161.48 and a 200 day simple moving average of $176.40.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 17th will be issued a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.96%. Hershey’s payout ratio is presently 50.28%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on HSY. DA Davidson cut their price target on Hershey from $164.00 to $149.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 10th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Barclays dropped their price objective on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 10th. Mizuho dropped their price objective on Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $180.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $164.15.

About Hershey

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.