The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Sold by Cetera Investment Advisers

Cetera Investment Advisers lowered its holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 17.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 71,350 shares of the company's stock after selling 15,197 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers' holdings in Hershey were worth $12,083,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Diversified Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at $200,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in Hershey by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 102,126 shares of the company's stock worth $17,295,000 after purchasing an additional 502 shares in the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. raised its holdings in Hershey by 61.7% in the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company's stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Graypoint LLC bought a new position in Hershey in the 4th quarter worth $345,000. Finally, Czech National Bank increased its stake in shares of Hershey by 6.5% in the 4th quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 32,034 shares of the company's stock worth $5,425,000 after acquiring an additional 1,952 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.

Hershey Stock Down 0.8%

Hershey stock traded down $1.36 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $161.94. The stock had a trading volume of 1,461,385 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,769,040. The company has a market cap of $32.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.86, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. 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 business's 50 day moving average price is $167.69 and its 200-day moving average price is $168.16. The Hershey Company has a 52 week low of $140.13 and a 52 week high of $209.65.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.15. Hershey had a net margin of 19.83% and a return on equity of 44.77%. The firm had revenue of $2.81 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.07 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th will be given a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.38%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is currently 67.57%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Hershey from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Friday, March 14th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $183.00 to $177.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Hershey from $178.00 to $175.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $161.40.

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.