Davis R M Inc. Sells 75,423 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Davis R M Inc. reduced its stake in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 55.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 61,209 shares of the company’s stock after selling 75,423 shares during the period. Davis R M Inc.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $10,366,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust grew its holdings in Hershey by 248.0% during the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the period. Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. grew its holdings in Hershey by 61.7% during the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth about $46,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hershey Price Performance

Hershey stock opened at $186.19 on Tuesday. The Hershey Company has a 52 week low of $140.13 and a 52 week high of $211.92. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $161.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $176.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The stock has a market cap of $37.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.08, a P/E/G ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a net margin of 19.83% and a return on equity of 44.77%. On average, equities analysts predict that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 17th will be given a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.94%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is currently 50.28%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on HSY. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 7th. Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $180.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. UBS Group reduced their target price on Hershey from $189.00 to $163.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Hershey from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $178.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $164.15.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total value of $41,144.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $396,936. The trade was a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.34% 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.