Toth Financial Advisory Corp Decreases Position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Toth Financial Advisory Corp trimmed its holdings in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 17.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,683 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,038 shares during the period. Toth Financial Advisory Corp’s holdings in Hershey were worth $1,640,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in HSY. Sei Investments Co. boosted its position in Hershey by 48.3% during the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 80,858 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,864,000 after buying an additional 26,318 shares during the period. Gabelli Funds LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey during the second quarter valued at approximately $460,000. Public Sector Pension Investment Board boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 64.3% during the second quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 5,470 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,006,000 after purchasing an additional 2,140 shares during the period. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 59.8% during the second quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp now owns 28,601 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,258,000 after purchasing an additional 10,706 shares during the period. Finally, AXA S.A. boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 7.6% during the second quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 46,303 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,512,000 after purchasing an additional 3,290 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of NYSE HSY opened at $150.54 on Friday. The Hershey Company has a twelve month low of $147.60 and a twelve month high of $211.92. The firm has a market cap of $30.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.34, a PEG ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a 50 day moving average of $169.13 and a 200 day moving average of $183.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were given a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.13%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered shares of Hershey from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $230.00 to $205.00 in a report on Monday, October 7th. Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $180.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Mizuho dropped their price target on Hershey from $195.00 to $170.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 23rd. Redburn Atlantic initiated coverage on Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. They issued a “sell” rating and a $165.00 price target for the company. Finally, TD Cowen dropped their price target on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have assigned a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $171.79.

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.