Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) Shares Purchased by Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC

Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC raised its position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 166.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 14,616 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 9,124 shares during the quarter. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC's holdings in Hershey were worth $2,500,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Capital International Investors increased its position in 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 buying an additional 2,980,997 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of Hershey by 18,311.7% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,010,616 shares of the company's stock worth $1,728,460,000 after acquiring an additional 1,005,127 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 453,428 shares during the last quarter. Value Partners Investments Inc. raised its stake in Hershey by 1,266.3% in the 1st quarter. Value Partners Investments Inc. now owns 214,794 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,777,000 after acquiring an additional 199,073 shares during the period. Finally, Freestone Grove Partners LP acquired a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter valued at $27,902,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In other news, CEO Michele Buck sold 31,210 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.80, for a total value of $5,018,568.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 193,624 shares of the company's stock, valued at $31,134,739.20. This trade represents a 13.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 974 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.11, for a total value of $153,025.14. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 2,994 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $470,387.34. This represents a 24.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 54,107 shares of company stock worth $9,008,118. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hershey Stock Performance

HSY traded up $0.18 on Friday, reaching $164.82. 1,080,547 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,806,742. The company's 50-day moving average price is $165.61 and its 200 day moving average price is $164.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.39 billion, a PE ratio of 20.32, a PEG ratio of 5.98 and a beta of 0.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.11. Hershey Company has a fifty-two week low of $140.13 and a fifty-two week high of $208.03.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.94 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $2.81 billion during 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.07 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th were paid a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 16th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.32%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is currently 67.57%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on HSY shares. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Hershey from $173.00 to $165.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on Hershey from $147.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Hershey from $183.00 to $177.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on Hershey from $167.00 to $155.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 28th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on Hershey from $178.00 to $175.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have issued a hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus 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.