The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Sold by Birmingham Capital Management Co. Inc. AL

Birmingham Capital Management Co. Inc. AL trimmed its holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 10.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 26,831 shares of the company's stock after selling 3,080 shares during the period. Hershey comprises approximately 1.7% of Birmingham Capital Management Co. Inc. AL's holdings, making the stock its 24th largest holding. Birmingham Capital Management Co. Inc. AL's holdings in Hershey were worth $4,544,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cim LLC increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Cim LLC now owns 10,339 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,751,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Menard Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $79,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $20,595,000. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $53,000. Finally, Capital A Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $121,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:HSY traded down $0.67 on Friday, hitting $160.65. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,073,023 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,792,533. The Hershey Company has a 12 month low of $140.13 and a 12 month high of $208.03. The company has a market capitalization of $32.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The stock's 50-day moving average is $163.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $166.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.96.

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

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be paid a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.41%. Hershey's payout ratio is 67.57%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on HSY shares. Barclays boosted their price target on Hershey from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, May 5th. Mizuho lowered their price target on Hershey from $167.00 to $155.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on Hershey from $178.00 to $175.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Hershey from $183.00 to $177.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Hershey from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Friday, March 14th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have given a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $158.84.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 974 shares of the company's 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 completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,994 shares in the company, valued at $470,387.34. This represents a 24.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.

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.