Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC Sells 307 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 63.7% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 175 shares of the company’s stock after selling 307 shares during the period. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $30,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of HSY. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in Hershey during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. raised its position in shares of Hershey by 61.7% during the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth $46,000. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC purchased a new position in Hershey in the third quarter worth $48,000. Finally, City State Bank increased its stake in Hershey by 210.0% in the fourth quarter. City State Bank now owns 310 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Trading Down 2.3 %

NYSE HSY opened at $151.75 on Thursday. The Hershey Company has a fifty-two week low of $150.31 and a fifty-two week high of $211.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.85. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $173.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $185.04. The stock has a market cap of $30.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.38 and a beta of 0.38.

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 paid a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.61%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s payout ratio is 63.13%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on Hershey from $195.00 to $180.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th. TD Cowen dropped their target price on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Hershey from $165.00 to $159.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Hershey from $188.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 14th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $183.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Hershey has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $182.21.

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.