Barclays Cuts Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Price Target to $180.00

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its price objective decreased by Barclays from $202.00 to $180.00 in a report published on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. Barclays currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on HSY. Citigroup cut Hershey from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $195.00 to $182.00 in a research note on Tuesday, August 27th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Hershey from $205.00 to $183.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of Hershey from $200.00 to $195.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Hershey from $191.00 to $199.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic began coverage on Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. They issued a “sell” rating and a $165.00 price objective on the stock. Five 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, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $189.33.

Hershey Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of HSY stock opened at $184.45 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $188.56 and a two-hundred day moving average of $192.10. The firm has a market cap of $37.31 billion, a PE ratio of 21.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.35 and a beta of 0.38. Hershey has a 1-year low of $171.67 and a 1-year high of $211.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.54.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th will be given a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.97%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is presently 63.13%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 55.0% in the 2nd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY raised its holdings in Hershey by 0.8% in the third quarter. Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY now owns 7,355 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,411,000 after buying an additional 58 shares during the period. Wesbanco Bank Inc. raised its stake in shares of Hershey by 3.7% in the 2nd quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 1,673 shares of the company’s stock valued at $308,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the period. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 2,631 shares of the company’s stock valued at $484,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Valley Brook Capital Group Inc. boosted its position in Hershey by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Valley Brook Capital Group Inc. now owns 4,067 shares of the company’s stock worth $748,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Company 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.