Barclays Issues Positive Forecast for Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Stock Price

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) had its price objective raised by Barclays from $160.00 to $165.00 in a research report released on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Hershey from $175.00 to $170.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Mizuho reduced their target price on Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $183.00 to $177.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Citigroup lowered their price target on Hershey from $173.00 to $165.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, DA Davidson lifted their price objective on Hershey from $162.00 to $163.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, May 5th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have issued a hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $161.40.

Hershey Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of Hershey stock traded up $0.88 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $171.00. The company had a trading volume of 1,228,311 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,769,604. Hershey has a 52-week low of $140.13 and a 52-week high of $211.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.69, a P/E/G ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a 50 day moving average of $168.20 and a 200 day moving average of $168.38.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $2.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.81 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. The company's revenue was down 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.07 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Hershey will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be issued a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.20%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 67.57%.

Institutional Trading of Hershey

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of HSY. Capital International Investors grew its holdings in shares of Hershey by 31.4% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 12,460,147 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,110,126,000 after buying an additional 2,980,997 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Hershey by 7.7% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,991,639 shares of the company's stock worth $853,720,000 after acquiring an additional 356,249 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Hershey by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,801,145 shares of the company's stock valued at $642,139,000 after purchasing an additional 47,394 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 38.6% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,628,047 shares of the company's stock valued at $275,710,000 after purchasing an additional 453,428 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 10.8% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,578,957 shares of the company's stock worth $267,396,000 after purchasing an additional 154,238 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.

Hershey Company 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.