The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Acquired by Czech National Bank

Czech National Bank lifted its stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 5.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 33,933 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 1,899 shares during the period. Czech National Bank's holdings in Hershey were worth $5,804,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of HSY. Montag & Caldwell LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Putney Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on HSY shares. Citigroup reduced their price target on Hershey from $173.00 to $165.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. Mizuho decreased their target price on Hershey from $167.00 to $155.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on Hershey from $147.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, DA Davidson increased their price target on Hershey from $162.00 to $163.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have issued a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $158.84.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 974 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.11, for a total value of $153,025.14. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,994 shares of the company's stock, valued at $470,387.34. The trade was a 24.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Michele Buck sold 31,210 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.80, for a total value of $5,018,568.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 193,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,134,739.20. The trade was a 13.88% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:HSY traded up $1.25 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $162.73. The company had a trading volume of 1,403,798 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,778,130. The Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $140.13 and a 12-month high of $208.03. 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 company has a market cap of $32.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.93, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a fifty day moving average of $163.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $166.03.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.94 by $0.15. Hershey had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. The business had revenue of $2.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.07 EPS. Hershey's revenue for the quarter was down 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be paid a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.37%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 16th. Hershey's payout ratio is currently 67.57%.

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.