Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Invests $20.60 Million in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 121,613 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $20,595,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned 0.06% of Hershey at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HSY. Capital International Investors raised its position in Hershey by 31.4% during the 4th 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. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 247,675 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,801,145 shares of the company's stock worth $642,139,000 after acquiring an additional 47,394 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in Hershey by 38.6% in 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 valued at $275,710,000 after buying an additional 453,428 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp raised its holdings in Hershey by 10.8% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,578,957 shares of the company's stock valued at $267,396,000 after buying an additional 154,238 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on HSY shares. UBS Group lowered their price objective on Hershey from $175.00 to $170.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Hershey from $173.00 to $165.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target 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. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on Hershey from $147.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Hershey from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Friday, March 14th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have given a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $162.15.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 974 shares of the firm'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 transaction of $153,025.14. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,994 shares of the company's stock, valued at $470,387.34. This trade represents a 24.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of Hershey stock traded down $0.67 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $160.65. 2,073,023 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,792,533. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.96. The company has a market capitalization of $32.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.74, a P/E/G ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $163.95 and a 200 day simple moving average of $166.36. The Hershey Company has a 12 month low of $140.13 and a 12 month high of $208.03.

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

Hershey Dividend Announcement

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