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 business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.00, for a total value of $3,568,650.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 193,624 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $35,820,440. This represents a 9.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

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

• On Monday, July 21st, Michele Buck sold 19,290 shares of Hershey stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total transaction of $3,472,200.00.
• 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 stock was sold at an average price of $160.80, for a total value of $5,018,568.00.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY traded down $2.49 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $184.63. 1,533,335 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,792,746. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. Hershey Company has a fifty-two week low of $140.13 and a fifty-two week high of $208.03. The business's 50 day moving average is $167.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is $165.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.77, a P/E/G ratio of 7.05 and a beta of 0.30.

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

Hershey Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 16th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th were given a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 16th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.97%. Hershey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 67.57%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. DA Davidson raised their target price on Hershey from $162.00 to $163.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price target on shares of Hershey from $147.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Hershey from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $173.00 to $165.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Hershey from $175.00 to $170.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have issued 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 $160.68.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Capital International Investors grew its holdings in Hershey by 31.4% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 12,460,147 shares of the company's stock worth $2,110,126,000 after acquiring an additional 2,980,997 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 7.7% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,991,639 shares of the company's stock worth $853,720,000 after purchasing an additional 356,249 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake 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 purchasing an additional 47,394 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 25.4% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,753,077 shares of the company's stock valued at $470,858,000 after purchasing an additional 557,056 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 38.6% in the fourth 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 purchasing an additional 453,428 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.