Blueshift Asset Management LLC Makes New $543,000 Investment in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Blueshift Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 2,830 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $543,000.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY now owns 7,355 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,411,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. grew its stake in Hershey by 3.7% during the second quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 1,673 shares of the company’s stock worth $308,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in Hershey by 2.3% in the second quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 2,631 shares of the company’s stock worth $484,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Valley Brook Capital Group Inc. lifted its stake in Hershey by 1.5% in the second quarter. Valley Brook Capital Group Inc. now owns 4,067 shares of the company’s stock valued at $748,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HSY has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Hershey from $205.00 to $183.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on shares of Hershey from $195.00 to $180.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Redburn Atlantic started coverage on shares of Hershey in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set a “sell” rating and a $165.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group lowered Hershey from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $226.00 to $209.00 in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Finally, Citigroup lowered Hershey from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $195.00 to $182.00 in a report on Tuesday, August 27th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have issued a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $189.33.

Hershey Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of Hershey stock opened at $174.09 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $183.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $190.39. 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 Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $168.16 and a 12-month high of $211.92. The company has a market cap of $35.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.06, a PEG ratio of 4.21 and a beta of 0.38.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th will be issued a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.15%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s payout ratio is 63.13%.

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.