Cypress Advisory Group LLC Takes Position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Cypress Advisory Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 14,658 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,482,000. Hershey makes up 2.3% of Cypress Advisory Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest holding.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp increased its position in shares of Hershey by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp now owns 4,500 shares of the company’s stock worth $762,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A now owns 3,240 shares of the company’s stock valued at $549,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. grew its stake in Hershey by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 5,546 shares of the company’s stock worth $939,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd increased its position in Hershey by 42.5% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 238 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the period. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA lifted its stake in Hershey by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 5,438 shares of the company’s stock valued at $921,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Trading Up 1.3 %

Shares of HSY opened at $167.26 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.34, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.28. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $169.23 and its two-hundred day moving average is $169.28. The Hershey Company has a twelve month low of $140.13 and a twelve month high of $211.92.

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

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 17th were issued a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.28%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 50.28%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on HSY shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. DA Davidson dropped their price objective on shares of Hershey from $164.00 to $149.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $178.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Bernstein Bank lowered their price target on Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have issued a hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $163.35.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hershey 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.