Culbertson A N & Co. Inc. Lowers Stock Position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Culbertson A N & Co. Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 7.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 15,877 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,289 shares during the period. Culbertson A N & Co. Inc.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $2,689,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in Hershey during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust grew its holdings in shares of Hershey by 248.0% in the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the period. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its stake in Hershey by 61.7% in the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Hershey during the third quarter worth $46,000. Finally, Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey in the third quarter valued at $48,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:HSY opened at $152.82 on Tuesday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $171.86 and a two-hundred day moving average of $184.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.92 billion, a PE ratio of 17.61, a P/E/G ratio of 4.20 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.54. The Hershey Company has a 12 month low of $150.31 and a 12 month high of $211.92.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.59%. Hershey’s payout ratio is 63.13%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on HSY. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of Hershey from $163.00 to $161.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 31st. TD Cowen lowered their price target on shares of Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $183.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Hershey from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on Hershey from $195.00 to $180.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have given a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $176.42.

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.