LVM Capital Management Ltd. MI Sells 38,435 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

LVM Capital Management Ltd. MI lowered its stake in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 63.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 22,315 shares of the company’s stock after selling 38,435 shares during the quarter. LVM Capital Management Ltd. MI’s holdings in Hershey were worth $3,779,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Hershey by 3.5% in the 2nd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 99,042 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,207,000 after buying an additional 3,379 shares during the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC increased its position in shares of Hershey by 151.1% during the second quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 3,402 shares of the company’s stock worth $625,000 after purchasing an additional 2,047 shares in the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 2,079 shares of the company’s stock valued at $382,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Choreo LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 2nd quarter worth $686,000. Finally, Royal London Asset Management Ltd. grew its stake in Hershey by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. now owns 91,816 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,879,000 after buying an additional 1,671 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:HSY traded down $3.54 during trading on Friday, hitting $158.68. 986,402 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,370,901. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $174.53 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $185.61. The Hershey Company has a 52-week low of $158.50 and a 52-week high of $211.92. The company has a market cap of $32.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.28, a P/E/G ratio of 4.38 and a beta of 0.38.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were given a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.45%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 63.13%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on HSY shares. Redburn Atlantic began coverage on Hershey in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They issued a “sell” rating and a $165.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $183.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Hershey from $202.00 to $180.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on shares of Hershey from $163.00 to $161.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Hershey from $188.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 14th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have issued a hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $182.21.

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.