Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

Hershey (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

Several other research firms also recently commented on HSY. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Hershey from $183.00 to $177.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on Hershey from $147.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Hershey from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Friday, March 14th. Barclays raised their price objective on Hershey from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their target price on Hershey from $167.00 to $155.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 28th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have assigned a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Hershey presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $158.84.

Hershey Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:HSY opened at $167.09 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average is $164.67 and its 200 day moving average is $165.10. 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 has a 1 year low of $140.13 and a 1 year high of $208.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.60, a P/E/G ratio of 6.10 and a beta of 0.29.

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

Insider Activity at Hershey

In related 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 owns 193,624 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $31,134,739.20. This trade represents a 13.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 974 shares of the business'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 directly owns 2,994 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $470,387.34. The trade was a 24.55% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.34% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Hershey

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Montag & Caldwell LLC purchased a new position in Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Putney Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Proffitt & Goodson Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the first quarter worth approximately $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% 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.

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.