Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) CEO Michele Buck Sells 19,290 Shares

Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) CEO Michele Buck sold 19,290 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, July 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total value of $3,472,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 193,624 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $34,852,320. This represents a 9.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Michele Buck also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, July 23rd, Michele Buck sold 19,290 shares of Hershey stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.00, for a total value of $3,568,650.00.
• On Tuesday, July 1st, Michele Buck sold 19,290 shares of Hershey stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.00, for a total value of $3,375,750.00.
• On Friday, May 30th, Michele Buck sold 31,210 shares of Hershey stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.80, for a total value of $5,018,568.00.

Hershey Stock Performance

NYSE:HSY traded up $1.96 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $185.86. The company had a trading volume of 588,444 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,858,227. Hershey Company has a 1-year low of $140.13 and a 1-year high of $208.03. The firm has a market cap of $37.66 billion, a PE ratio of 22.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.90 and a beta of 0.30. The business's 50 day moving average price is $166.78 and its 200-day moving average price is $165.01. 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 (NYSE:HSY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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 company had revenue of $2.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.81 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 38.70% and a net margin of 15.32%. Hershey's revenue for the quarter was down 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.07 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th were issued a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 16th. Hershey's dividend payout ratio is presently 67.57%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group dropped their price target on Hershey from $175.00 to $170.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Wall Street Zen lowered Hershey from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Sunday, July 6th. Barclays boosted their price target on Hershey from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on Hershey from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price target on Hershey from $167.00 to $155.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 28th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have given a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $160.16.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Teacher Retirement System of Texas acquired a new stake in Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,475,000. Mizuho Securities USA LLC increased its stake in Hershey by 46.2% in the fourth quarter. Mizuho Securities USA LLC now owns 14,002 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,371,000 after purchasing an additional 4,426 shares during the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC grew its position in Hershey by 19.0% during the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 400,114 shares of the company's stock valued at $67,759,000 after acquiring an additional 63,882 shares during the period. CoreFirst Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter worth about $117,000. Finally, Zions Bancorporation N.A. boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 50.7% in the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 2,824 shares of the company's stock worth $478,000 after buying an additional 950 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.