North Dakota State Investment Board Buys Shares of 4,994 Hershey Company (The) $HSY

North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 4,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $909,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Hershey in the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Close Asset Management Ltd grew its position in Hershey by 339.3% during the 3rd quarter. Close Asset Management Ltd now owns 246 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In other Hershey news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.10, for a total value of $291,150.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 57,695 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,198,599.50. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Rohit Grover sold 3,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.07, for a total value of $791,245.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 34,568 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,814,787.76. The trade was a 9.19% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 8,500 shares of company stock worth $1,859,600. Insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Trading Down 1.1%

HSY stock opened at $190.71 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $150.04 and a 12-month high of $239.48. The stock has a market cap of $38.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.51, a PEG ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.07. The business’s 50-day moving average is $200.63 and its 200 day moving average is $197.36.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $2.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.04 by $0.31. Hershey had a net margin of 9.12% and a return on equity of 28.98%. The business had revenue of $3.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.03 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.09 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 10.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Hershey Company will post 8.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $1.452 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is currently 108.19%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on HSY shares. Stephens increased their price target on Hershey from $200.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Hershey from $211.00 to $204.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $249.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Hershey from $220.00 to $200.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $185.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $217.78.

About Hershey

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is a leading North American chocolatier and snack manufacturer headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The company develops, produces and markets a wide range of confectionery and snack products for retail, foodservice and international customers. Hershey’s business spans manufacturing, branded product marketing, packaging and distribution across grocery, convenience, mass merchant and e-commerce channels.

Hershey’s product portfolio centers on chocolate and sugar confectionery, including core brands such as Hershey’s, Reese’s, Hershey’s Kisses and Twizzlers, alongside non-chocolate snacks and confectionery brands.