Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Given New $165.00 Price Target at Barclays

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its price target increased by Barclays from $160.00 to $165.00 in a report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

Several other research firms also recently commented on HSY. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $183.00 to $177.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on shares of Hershey from $150.00 to $134.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. 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, Hershey has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $161.40.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY stock opened at $168.88 on Monday. 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 company’s fifty day moving average price is $168.48 and its 200-day moving average price is $168.67. The stock has a market cap of $34.18 billion, a PE ratio of 15.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. Hershey has a 12 month low of $140.13 and a 12 month high of $211.92.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced 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 net margin of 19.83% and a return on equity of 44.77%. The business had revenue of $2.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.07 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Hershey will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be given a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.24%. Hershey’s payout ratio is presently 67.57%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of HSY. Montag & Caldwell LLC bought a new stake in Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Putney Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Hershey in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Proffitt & Goodson Inc. purchased a new position in Hershey during the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.