Mission Wealth Management LP Buys New Shares in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Mission Wealth Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm purchased 4,360 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $738,000.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in HSY. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust raised its stake in Hershey by 248.0% in the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. raised its stake in Hershey by 61.7% in the fourth 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 in the third quarter valued at about $46,000. Finally, City State Bank raised 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 purchasing an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY opened at $176.33 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $160.89 and a 200 day moving average of $176.75. The Hershey Company has a one year low of $140.13 and a one year high of $211.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.18, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.37.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a net margin of 19.83% and a return on equity of 44.77%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 17th will be issued a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.11%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. Hershey’s payout ratio is 50.28%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Hershey from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 17th. TD Cowen reduced their price target on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on Hershey from $150.00 to $134.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. DA Davidson cut their price objective on Hershey from $164.00 to $149.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $164.15.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other Hershey news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the firm’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 completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.