The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Bought by Econ Financial Services Corp

Econ Financial Services Corp increased its stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 32.4% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 2,119 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 519 shares during the period. Econ Financial Services Corp’s holdings in Hershey were worth $359,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Park Avenue Securities LLC increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 5,646 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,083,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Czech National Bank increased its stake in Hershey by 6.9% during the third quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 30,082 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,769,000 after acquiring an additional 1,952 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 33.0% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,054 shares of the company’s stock worth $777,000 after purchasing an additional 1,005 shares during the period. Bridge Creek Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 63.4% in the 3rd quarter. Bridge Creek Capital Management LLC now owns 3,015 shares of the company’s stock valued at $578,000 after purchasing an additional 1,170 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Insight Wealth Strategies LLC grew its holdings in shares of Hershey by 94.0% during the 3rd quarter. Insight Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 20,704 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,971,000 after purchasing an additional 10,034 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Trading Down 2.0 %

NYSE:HSY opened at $144.78 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $29.30 billion, a PE ratio of 16.68, a P/E/G ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.38. The business’s 50 day moving average is $165.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $181.22. 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 Hershey Company has a 52 week low of $143.95 and a 52 week high of $211.92.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were paid a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.79%. Hershey’s payout ratio is currently 63.13%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HSY has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on shares of Hershey from $150.00 to $134.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Redburn Atlantic began coverage on Hershey in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They issued a “sell” rating and a $165.00 price target for the company. Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $180.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Hershey from $180.00 to $170.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and thirteen have issued a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $169.79.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other Hershey news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $396,936. The trade was a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

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.