Klein Pavlis & Peasley Financial Inc. Sells 60 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Klein Pavlis & Peasley Financial Inc. reduced its position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,078 shares of the company’s stock after selling 60 shares during the quarter. Klein Pavlis & Peasley Financial Inc.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $1,357,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HSY. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in Hershey by 62.3% during the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 49,407 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,610,000 after purchasing an additional 18,968 shares during the last quarter. Vicus Capital acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the 1st quarter worth about $264,000. Founders Financial Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $467,000. Aviance Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $243,000. Finally, Diversified Trust Co grew its position in shares of Hershey by 332.3% in the 1st quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 7,838 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,524,000 after purchasing an additional 6,025 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Performance

HSY opened at $181.26 on Monday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $192.50 and its 200-day moving average is $192.71. The firm has a market cap of $36.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.22 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 0.86. The Hershey Company has a 52-week low of $178.82 and a 52-week high of $211.92.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $1.27 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.44 by ($0.17). The business had revenue of $2.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.30 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 16.76% and a return on equity of 45.36%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.01 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that The Hershey Company will post 9.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 16th were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 16th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.02%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 54.31%.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In other Hershey news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 538 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.17, for a total value of $107,153.46. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 3,238 shares in the company, valued at approximately $644,912.46. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.34% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on HSY. Barclays reduced their price target on Hershey from $204.00 to $202.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, September 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Hershey from $188.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 14th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Hershey from $195.00 to $180.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Redburn Atlantic began coverage on Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set a “sell” rating and a $165.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Argus cut Hershey from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have issued a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $191.11.

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.