Caprock Group LLC Boosts Stock Position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Caprock Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 10.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,311 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 315 shares during the quarter. Caprock Group LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $561,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in HSY. Park Avenue Securities LLC boosted its stake in Hershey by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 5,646 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,083,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC grew its stake in Hershey by 23.3% in the third quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 333 shares of the company’s stock worth $64,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Forum Financial Management LP raised its stake in Hershey by 1.6% during the third quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 4,130 shares of the company’s stock valued at $792,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Avestar Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Hershey by 6.0% during the 3rd quarter. Avestar Capital LLC now owns 1,175 shares of the company’s stock worth $225,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northstar Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Hershey by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. Northstar Group Inc. now owns 2,239 shares of the company’s stock worth $429,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Trading Down 2.0 %

Hershey stock opened at $144.78 on Wednesday. The Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $143.95 and a 12-month high of $211.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.30 billion, a PE ratio of 16.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.38. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $166.37 and a 200-day simple moving average of $181.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.54.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.79%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.13%.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In other Hershey news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total value of $41,144.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $396,936. The trade was a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on HSY. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $178.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Redburn Atlantic assumed coverage on shares of Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set a “sell” rating and a $165.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup decreased their target price on Hershey from $165.00 to $159.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Hershey from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and thirteen have assigned a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $169.79.

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.