The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Sold by JLB & Associates Inc.

JLB & Associates Inc. lowered its holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 2.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 62,941 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,790 shares during the quarter. Hershey comprises 1.4% of JLB & Associates Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. JLB & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $10,659,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in HSY. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in Hershey by 31.4% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,068 shares of the company’s stock worth $196,000 after purchasing an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its position in shares of Hershey by 107.7% in the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 17,609 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,377,000 after buying an additional 9,129 shares during the last quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in Hershey by 22.1% during the 3rd quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,367 shares of the company’s stock worth $262,000 after acquiring an additional 247 shares in the last quarter. Eastern Bank purchased a new stake in Hershey in the third quarter valued at $288,000. Finally, Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI purchased a new stake in Hershey in the third quarter valued at $554,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. TD Cowen cut their target price on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, DA Davidson cut their target price on shares of Hershey from $164.00 to $149.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 10th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $164.15.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of HSY opened at $166.12 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.61 billion, a PE ratio of 15.24, a P/E/G ratio of 5.82 and a beta of 0.37. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $161.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $178.46. The Hershey Company has a twelve month low of $140.13 and a twelve month high of $211.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. Research analysts anticipate that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th will be issued a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.30%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is presently 50.28%.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other Hershey news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

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.