The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Reduce” from Analysts

Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) have received an average recommendation of “Reduce” from the twenty ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and thirteen have issued a hold rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $170.05.

A number of analysts recently weighed in on HSY shares. Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of Hershey from $195.00 to $170.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $183.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut Hershey from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $230.00 to $205.00 in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Redburn Atlantic assumed coverage on Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. They issued a “sell” rating and a $165.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on Hershey from $180.00 to $170.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 24th.

Hershey Trading Down 1.9 %

Shares of HSY opened at $149.19 on Monday. Hershey has a twelve month low of $147.60 and a twelve month high of $211.92. The stock has a market cap of $30.19 billion, a PE ratio of 17.19, a P/E/G ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $166.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $181.95.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were paid a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.13%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust boosted its position in Hershey by 248.0% during the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Hershey in the 3rd quarter worth $46,000. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the third quarter valued at about $48,000. Finally, ST Germain D J Co. Inc. raised its stake in shares of Hershey by 61.7% during the fourth quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.