ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. Acquires Shares of 21,941 Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY)

Key Points

• ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. invested approximately $3.75 million in Hershey Company by acquiring 21,941 shares during the first quarter, indicating growing institutional interest in the company.
• Hershey recently reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $1.21, surpassing expectations with a revenue of $2.61 billion, a 26% year-over-year increase.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.37 per share, with an annualized payout of $5.48 and a yield of 2.9%, scheduled for distribution on September 15th.

ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. bought a new stake in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 21,941 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,752,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Montag & Caldwell LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Putney Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Proffitt & Goodson Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 1st quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Tradewinds Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 129.5% in the 1st quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 179 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on the company. Bank of America lifted their price target on Hershey from $175.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. Mizuho lifted their price objective on Hershey from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, July 28th. Barclays lifted their price objective on Hershey from $165.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on Hershey from $155.00 to $179.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Hershey from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 29th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $169.68.

Hershey Trading Down 1.8%

NYSE:HSY traded down $3.29 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $184.21. 1,655,457 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,824,238. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. The business has a 50-day moving average of $173.53 and a two-hundred day moving average of $167.42. Hershey Company has a twelve month low of $140.13 and a twelve month high of $208.03. The company has a market capitalization of $37.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.46, a PEG ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.27.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.23. Hershey had a return on equity of 37.36% and a net margin of 13.54%. The business had revenue of $2.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.50 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.27 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 26.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is currently 72.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In other news, CEO Michele Buck sold 19,290 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.00, for a total transaction of $3,742,260.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 193,624 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $37,563,056. This represents a 9.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Rohit Grover sold 1,334 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, July 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total value of $240,120.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 38,068 shares in the company, valued at $6,852,240. This represents a 3.39% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 118,311 shares of company stock valued at $20,931,348. Insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.

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.