Kessler Investment Group LLC Has $272,000 Stake in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY)

Kessler Investment Group LLC raised its position in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 2,024.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,593 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 1,518 shares during the period. Kessler Investment Group LLC's holdings in Hershey were worth $272,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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

Hershey Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE HSY opened at $167.09 on Friday. The company's fifty day moving average is $164.67 and its 200-day moving average is $165.10. The stock has a market cap of $33.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.60, a P/E/G ratio of 6.10 and a beta of 0.29. Hershey Company has a twelve month low of $140.13 and a twelve month high of $208.03. 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 (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.94 by $0.15. Hershey had a net margin of 15.32% and a return on equity of 38.70%. The business had revenue of $2.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.81 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.07 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current 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 issued a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 16th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.28%. Hershey's payout ratio is 67.57%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hershey news, CEO Michele Buck sold 31,210 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction on 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 974 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.11, for a total transaction of $153,025.14. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,994 shares in the company, valued at $470,387.34. The trade was a 24.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HSY has been the topic of several research analyst reports. DA Davidson increased their price target on shares of Hershey from $162.00 to $163.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $178.00 to $175.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Hershey from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Friday, March 14th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $173.00 to $165.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $167.00 to $155.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 28th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $158.84.

About Hershey

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HSY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.