Clark & Stuart Inc Takes $654,000 Position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Clark & Stuart Inc purchased a new position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 3,860 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $654,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Hershey by 55.0% during the 2nd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at $46,000. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC purchased a new stake in Hershey in the third quarter worth $48,000. Finally, ST Germain D J Co. Inc. lifted its position 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 worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on HSY. Mizuho cut their price target 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. TD Cowen reduced their target price 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. Redburn Atlantic initiated coverage on Hershey in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They issued a “sell” rating and a $165.00 price target for the company. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on Hershey from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $183.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have assigned a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $182.21.

Hershey Price Performance

NYSE HSY opened at $158.40 on Monday. The Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $156.10 and a 12-month high of $211.92. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $174.11 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $185.42. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $32.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.25, a P/E/G ratio of 4.38 and a beta of 0.38.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.46%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is currently 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.