Jefferies Financial Group Issues Positive Forecast for Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Stock Price

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its price target raised by Jefferies Financial Group from $185.00 to $207.00 in a research report report published on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

HSY has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. UBS Group boosted their price target on Hershey from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Hershey from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Barclays set a $210.00 target price on Hershey in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $214.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $194.32.

Hershey Trading Up 1.6%

NYSE:HSY opened at $197.84 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $187.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $184.90. Hershey has a one year low of $140.13 and a one year high of $201.86. The firm has a market cap of $40.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.57 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 1.36.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Hershey news, CEO Kirk Tanner purchased 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $185.46 per share, for a total transaction of $370,920.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 47,860 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,876,115.60. The trade was a 4.36% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Stacy Taffet acquired 200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $186.19 per share, with a total value of $37,238.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,371 shares in the company, valued at $1,744,786.49. The trade was a 2.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 6,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,119,450. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Hershey

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in HSY. ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC boosted its holdings in Hershey by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 3,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $559,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Hershey by 4.0% in the fourth quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. now owns 1,407 shares of the company’s stock worth $256,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. BSW Wealth Partners grew its holdings in Hershey by 5.1% during the fourth quarter. BSW Wealth Partners now owns 1,132 shares of the company’s stock worth $206,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Choreo LLC raised its position in Hershey by 3.6% during the second quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 1,708 shares of the company’s stock valued at $283,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bellevue Asset Management LLC raised its position in Hershey by 13.5% during the third quarter. Bellevue Asset Management LLC now owns 514 shares of the company’s stock valued at $96,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Company Profile

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.