The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Acquired by Advisors Asset Management Inc.

Advisors Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 18.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 28,085 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 4,464 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $5,386,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in HSY. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 218.2% during the 2nd quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 140 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 55.0% during the 2nd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in Hershey in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Crewe Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on HSY shares. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Hershey from $202.00 to $180.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of Hershey from $191.00 to $199.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded shares of Hershey from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $230.00 to $205.00 in a report on Monday, October 7th. Argus downgraded shares of Hershey from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $163.00 to $161.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Five 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 company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $189.33.

Hershey Price Performance

Hershey stock opened at $174.86 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $35.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $185.03 and a 200-day simple moving average of $191.16. The Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $168.16 and a 12-month high of $211.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th will be given a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.13%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.13%.

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.