Value Partners Investments Inc. Has $36.78 Million Stock Position in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY)

Value Partners Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Free Report) by 1,266.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 214,794 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 199,073 shares during the quarter. Hershey accounts for about 3.2% of Value Partners Investments Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest position. Value Partners Investments Inc. owned approximately 0.11% of Hershey worth $36,777,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of HSY. Ethos Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in Hershey by 59.8% during the fourth quarter. Ethos Financial Group LLC now owns 3,962 shares of the company's stock worth $671,000 after purchasing an additional 1,483 shares during the last quarter. DJE Kapital AG bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,040,000. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its position in Hershey by 8.1% during the 1st quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 18,625 shares of the company's stock worth $3,186,000 after acquiring an additional 1,390 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Hershey by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,635,390 shares of the company's stock valued at $785,003,000 after buying an additional 247,675 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Global View Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Hershey during the fourth quarter worth approximately $253,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company's stock.

Hershey Stock Up 0.1%

NYSE:HSY traded up $0.19 on Friday, hitting $167.19. 527,614 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,796,469. Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $140.13 and a 1 year high of $208.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. The company has a market cap of $33.87 billion, a PE ratio of 20.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.12 and a beta of 0.29. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $164.65 and a 200-day moving average price of $165.24.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $2.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.81 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 38.70% and a net margin of 15.32%. The business's revenue was down 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.07 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.28%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 16th. Hershey's payout ratio is presently 67.57%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In other news, CEO Michele Buck sold 31,210 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.80, for a total transaction of $5,018,568.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 193,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,134,739.20. This trade represents a 13.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, 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 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 represents a 24.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on Hershey from $147.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Mizuho lowered 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. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Hershey from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, May 5th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Hershey from $183.00 to $177.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Hershey from $173.00 to $165.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have issued a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $158.84.

Hershey 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.