Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) is Kennon Green & Company LLC's 4th Largest Position

Kennon Green & Company LLC raised its position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 33.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 43,146 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 10,784 shares during the quarter. Hershey comprises about 6.0% of Kennon Green & Company LLC's holdings, making the stock its 4th largest position. Kennon Green & Company LLC's holdings in Hershey were worth $7,379,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Capital International Investors increased its stake 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 worth $2,110,126,000 after acquiring an additional 2,980,997 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in Hershey by 18,311.7% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,010,616 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,728,460,000 after purchasing an additional 1,005,127 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $80,978,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its position in Hershey by 38.6% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,628,047 shares of the company's stock worth $275,710,000 after purchasing an additional 453,428 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Hershey by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,635,390 shares of the company's stock worth $785,003,000 after purchasing an additional 247,675 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. UBS Group reduced their price target on Hershey from $175.00 to $170.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on Hershey from $147.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Hershey from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Friday, March 14th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Hershey from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $183.00 to $177.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $158.84.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of HSY traded up $1.26 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $177.07. 194,224 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,791,023. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. Hershey Company has a 52-week low of $140.13 and a 52-week high of $208.03. The company has a market cap of $35.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.86, a PEG ratio of 6.06 and a beta of 0.30. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $164.83 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $164.84.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.94 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $2.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.81 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 38.70% and a net margin of 15.32%. Hershey's quarterly revenue was down 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.07 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 16th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 16th. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is presently 67.57%.

Insider Activity

In other Hershey news, CEO Michele Buck sold 31,210 shares of the company'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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 193,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,134,739.20. This represents a 13.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 974 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.11, for a total transaction of $153,025.14. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 2,994 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $470,387.34. This trade represents a 24.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.28% 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.