Simplicity Solutions LLC Decreases Stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Simplicity Solutions LLC lowered its position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 54.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,828 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,222 shares during the quarter. Simplicity Solutions LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $341,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HSY. Blair William & Co. IL grew its holdings in Hershey by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 30,767 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,665,000 after buying an additional 916 shares in the last quarter. Dakota Wealth Management purchased a new position in Hershey during the 1st quarter valued at about $238,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Hershey by 28.8% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,566 shares of the company’s stock valued at $339,000 after buying an additional 350 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Hershey by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,057,990 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,045,383,000 after buying an additional 216,715 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. grew its holdings in Hershey by 10.8% during the 1st quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 32,183 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,972,000 after buying an additional 3,129 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Stock Performance

NYSE:HSY opened at $185.02 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $192.31 and a 200 day moving average of $190.97. The company has a market capitalization of $37.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.44, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.34. The Hershey Company has a 1-year low of $178.82 and a 1-year high of $276.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.52.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 8th. The company reported $2.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $2.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.72 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 51.79% and a net margin of 16.67%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.02 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that The Hershey Company will post 9.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 20th were paid a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.96%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 16th. This is a positive change from Hershey’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.19. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is 60.55%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HSY has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Hershey from $205.00 to $200.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on Hershey from $200.00 to $179.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 15th. Citigroup dropped their price target on Hershey from $213.00 to $199.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 11th. Edward Jones reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on Hershey from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $223.33.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.97, for a total transaction of $283,455.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 29,816 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,634,329.52. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 453 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $198.54, for a total transaction of $89,938.62. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 1,862 shares in the company, valued at $369,681.48. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.97, for a total value of $283,455.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 29,816 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,634,329.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 3,453 shares of company stock valued at $670,244. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.