Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) Receives Consensus Rating of “Reduce” from Analysts

Shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) have been given an average recommendation of “Reduce” by the twenty ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $177.6667.

A number of analysts have recently commented on HSY shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Hershey from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 2nd. Morgan Stanley set a $193.00 target price on Hershey in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. Mizuho lifted their target price on Hershey from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Hershey from $185.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Hershey from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $170.00 to $222.00 in a research report on Tuesday, September 16th.

Hershey Stock Down 0.5%

Hershey stock opened at $180.53 on Wednesday. Hershey has a 1-year low of $140.13 and a 1-year high of $208.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 0.89. The stock has a market cap of $36.60 billion, a PE ratio of 23.97, a P/E/G ratio of 4.36 and a beta of 0.26. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $186.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $175.89.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.23. Hershey had a return on equity of 37.36% and a net margin of 13.54%.The company had revenue of $2.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.50 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.27 earnings per share. Hershey’s quarterly revenue was up 26.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Hershey will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.52, for a total transaction of $281,280.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 56,819 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,654,698.88. This trade represents a 2.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Hershey by 1,537.5% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 131 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Proffitt & Goodson Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its position in shares of Hershey by 46.3% during the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

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.